Ukrainian Leopard 2 tank destroyed by Russia on the Zaporizhia front (Photo: WM BLOOD).
What happened to Ukraine's "iron fist" 47th Brigade now?
Yahoo Japan reported that the 47th Independent Mechanized Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian Army still has 17 Leopard 2A6 tanks in combat, the most modern version of this vehicle line.
Ukraine received these Leopard 2A6s from Germany and Portugal earlier this year, a total of 21 vehicles, which means it lost 4. Now these tanks are playing an important role on the Avdiivka front, with the task of stopping the Russian offensive.
Overall, the Ukrainian Army has lost a large number of tanks since the conflict began, and after more than a year of combat review, the Ukrainian Army considers the Leopard 2A6 to be one of its best tanks. Kiev has recently suffered heavy losses and almost all of its previous tanks have been destroyed.
In June, the 47th Brigade first fielded these tanks and paid a heavy price in the counter-offensive in the South.
At that time, the 47th Brigade, with the mission of "iron fist", was tasked with opening the door, capturing the bridgehead objective and leading other units to fight on the battlefield south of Zaporizhia. Although the casualties reached "four digits", this unit also learned a lot of combat experience.
Ukrainian tanks participate in the counterattack (Photo: Domena Publiczna).
Leopard 2 tanks receive new missions and adopt new tactics
In October, with Avdiivka in dire straits due to fierce Russian attacks, the 47th Brigade was ordered to rotate from Zaporizhia to this front to reinforce the defense forces, determined to protect the important gateway city located next to the capital of Donetsk region.
When it arrived at Avdiivka, the 47th Brigade still had 17 Leopard 2A6s and about 100 American M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles. But in the first battle, a Leopard 2A6 was hit in the side by a B-41 anti-tank round.
The process of the tank being hit by bullets was recorded by a Russian reconnaissance UAV, marking the first time a Russian soldier witnessed a Leopard 2 tank being hit and recorded the image.
As expected, the 47th Brigade continued to counterattack in the northern flank of Avdiivka. The unit used tactics, combining Bradley M2A1 infantry fighting vehicles and Leopard 2A6 infantry fighting vehicles to form a rapid attack team, suddenly approaching the Russian position, firing many shots and then escaping at extremely high speed.
The Leopard 2A6 proved suitable for this "shoot and run" tactic because it was fast and, more importantly, the tank was equipped with a special gearbox, allowing the vehicle to reach speeds of up to 30km/h when reversing.
On the other hand, the retreat speed of Russian tanks is generally slow (except for the T-80), usually less than 5km/h, so when facing a disadvantage in combat, Russian tank units are forced to make difficult choices. To avoid being surrounded by Ukrainian troops, they must use their high mobility to escape.
Meanwhile, Leopard 2A6 retreats at a speed of more than 30km/h, so the entire armor in the front hemisphere, the best protected area, is always facing enemy fire directly, so the possibility of being penetrated is much lower.
Turning around in combat takes time and exposes the rear of the vehicle, which is least protected from enemy fire. So, in any case, Russian tanks are vulnerable when retreating.
On the Ukrainian battlefield, Russian tanks have an advantage when attacking, especially when confronting each other head-on. However, when needing to retreat in unfavorable circumstances, they will be put in a passive position, so many tanks are destroyed.
Not long ago, Leopard 2A6s of the 47th Ukrainian Brigade demonstrated this agility when they coordinated with M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles to attack Russian positions around Avdiivka.
While being monitored from above by a Russian UAV, a group of Ukrainian Leopard 2A6s and M2s rushed towards the Russian troops, practicing heavy fire. After that, the Bradley M2 was hit and could not move, the Leopard 2A6 that accompanied it fired a few shots and quickly retreated, allowing it to safely leave the battlefield at any time.
Another Bradley then swoops in to rescue the damaged Bradley and tries to tow it away, and the video ends there. It is difficult to assess the casualties on both sides in this battle, and it is equally difficult to determine whether Ukraine successfully rescued the crippled Bradley.
The US Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said that, according to a Russian military blogger, mobile attacks by Ukrainian mechanized forces are one of the new tactics to prevent Moscow's forces from tightening the siege in Avdiivka. Such attacks continue, as the 47th Brigade still has strong fighting capabilities.
After months of continuous fighting, the Ukrainian tank force was increasingly weakened, forcing the 47th Brigade to implement "shoot and run" tactics to ensure safety from Russian fire. However, the mobility of the Leopard 2A6 cannot be underestimated, this advantage helps them survive better.
However, the use of tanks largely depends on the level of the crew, tankers in the Russian army are said to have accumulated more experience, while Ukrainian tankers are often conscripts, much less experienced.
After a long period of actual combat, Brigade 47 also learned many painful lessons, so they can give the Russian army a headache.
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