Ukrainians start salvaging damaged tanks because they need them. The US accuses Iran of attempting to seize two oil tankers

The images of the destroyed Western war material went around the world: burnt-out Leopard tanks from Germany rusting next to American M2 Bradleys without a turret. Or armored recovery vehicles with British snowplows that are torn and black with soot in the fields.

They are the remains of a failed Ukrainian attack on Mala Tokmachka, near Zaporizhia, on June 8. On that day, a battlegroup consisting of the 47th Assault Brigade and the 33rd Mechanized Brigade was to cross a minefield towards Robotyne to the south. Robotyne, well developed and defended by the Russians, is the first major obstacle on the way to the great city of Melitopol. If the Ukrainians had got there, to the Black Sea, they would have split the Russian forces in two.

But it has not (yet) come to that. The June 8 advance would go down in history as one of the costliest days of the Ukrainian counter-offensive. First, the approaching battlegroup was spotted by helicopters and attacked with armor-piercing missiles. For now, the tanks moved on.

First and foremost there were Leopard 2Rs from Finland and German Wisent armored recovery vehicles. This was intended to clear the way for the numerous mines laid nearby by the Russian troops. This was not as successful as expected: three of the Finnish demining leopards (2R), a buffalo and several American M2 Bradleys fell victim to the mines.

The vehicles behind it raced on, after which the Russian artillery hurtled over the column. In total, Ukraine lost about 25 armored vehicles that day: 17 M2 Bradleys, four Leopard 2A6s, three Leopard 2Rs and one Wisent. In other words, a fifth of all Bradleys delivered to Ukraine. One fifth of all Leopard 2A6s. And half of all Leopard 2R. They are no longer there, by the way. Because Finland had given all its six tanks and with it the world’s supply to the Ukraine. A hard blow.

And yet not all days seem to be over: a recently published video shows the crew of a German Bergepanzer 2 preparing a “destroyed” Bradley to be towed.

The American magazine Forbes concludes two things from this: on the one hand, the Ukrainian forces have already advanced so far in the direction of Robotyne/Tokmak that the area is safe enough to recover damaged vehicles.

And on the other hand, the Ukrainians seem to assume that they will be able to get at least some of the vehicles left behind on June 8 back on the road. That’s a good thing, because Ukraine urgently needs the steel on tracks. Since the start of the counter-offensive, seven Leopards of various designs have already been destroyed or at least damaged – an eighth of all Leos promised (and partially already delivered) to Ukraine.

But not only the main battle tanks are needed for the counter-offensive, but also genius tanks such as the Wisent. A Genie tank is a type of armored construction vehicle. Investigations revealed that the area where the task force was trapped on June 8 was very densely littered with mines. The Russian troops finally had most of the winter to strengthen their defenses. This means that not only mines, but also anti-tank barriers and barricades slow down the Ukrainian offensive.

It is now hoped that the Ukrainians will also be able to repair the three Leopard 2Rs that were damaged in any case. The Finnish cars with British mine clearance crews can not only clear mines efficiently, but also fill trenches and erode embankments.

But the recovery of the deminers will not be an easy task in the truest sense of the word. A Leopard R2 weighs about 60 tons. It may even take two armored recovery vehicles to move the Finnish steel monster to a paved road, from where it can be transported to the workshop by a semi-trailer truck. Not an easy task, but not impossible either.