(Dan Tri) - When retreating from Kursk while surrounded by Russia from all sides, Ukrainian soldiers left behind top weapons that the West had provided.
Ukrainian M1 Abrams tank captured by Russia (Photo: RIA).
On February 25, a group of advanced Russian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from the Rubicon center launched a fierce attack on the main supply line supporting the Ukrainian garrison in Sudzha, Kursk.
Rubicon used advanced UAVs and sophisticated ambush tactics to simultaneously attack the front, rear, and sides of the enemy convoy, according to analyst Andrew Perpetua. In a short time, they disabled hundreds of Ukrainian vehicles.
“This is the day you start worrying about Kursk,” Mr. Perpetua wrote. Two weeks later, Ukrainian forces, consisting of 10,000 soldiers from several heavy brigades, withdrew from Kursk.
Deprived of supplies and facing isolation, the Ukrainians sought to retreat under cover of darkness, leaving behind heavy modern weapons that would almost certainly be Russian spoils.
Under former President Joe Biden, the US provided 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine in 2023. These modern vehicles were equipped with a battalion of the elite 47th Mechanized Brigade, a unit that has been fighting continuously for nearly 2 years in southern and eastern Ukraine.
With their aggressive fighting style, the 47th Brigade was often forced to abandon damaged Abrams in no-man’s-land between the two front lines, with little chance of recovery. So it was no surprise that they had to abandon another Abrams as they retreated from Kursk, and the Russians captured it.
M2 Bradley armored vehicle captured by Russia in Kursk (Photo: RIA).
In addition to the Abrams, Ukraine also lost M2 Bradleys to Russia. This is a 33-ton infantry fighting vehicle, which can be considered the best vehicle in the Russia-Ukraine war thanks to its balance of mobility, protection and powerful firepower with a high-velocity 25mm cannon.
The Biden administration has provided more than 300 Bradleys to Ukraine, and they are distributed to at least six battalions, including several units in the 47th Mechanized Brigade. As of last week, Ukraine had lost at least 80 Bradleys.
Along with that, Ukraine lost another M777 gun after withdrawing from Kursk. This gun has many outstanding advantages such as being very light, being able to fire unguided shells up to 30km, much further than the Soviet Union's 152mm gun. Ukraine received about 200 M777 guns and deployed them along a front line of about 1,300km.
However, their widespread use also makes them a priority target for Russian rocket artillery. In 37 months of fierce fighting, Ukraine lost at least 55 M777s. The gun captured by Russia at Kursk may be the first to fall into Russian hands intact.
According to Forbes , Ukraine lost about 500 vehicles and heavy equipment after 8 months of fighting in Kursk. However, they could not maintain their achievements and gradually lost territory to Russia, while also losing more land in the East.
Therefore, observers believe that Ukraine's bet in Kursk does not seem to have brought the results Kiev expected as they are almost about to lose an important negotiating card with Russia in the near future.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/ukraine-vo-tran-o-kursk-bo-lai-loat-chien-loi-pham-hien-dai-cho-nga-20250314100708800.htm
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