A single Krasnopol artillery munition was enough to obliterate the vehicle, according to Moscow’s military
Russian forces have destroyed another US-supplied Ukrainian-operated Abrams main battle tank in Donbass, the Defense Ministry in Moscow reported on Wednesday.
The Pentagon has supplied 31 M1A1 Abrams tanks to bolster the Ukrainian army. The latest one to be wiped out was hit by a Russian Krasnopol guided artillery system, according to a statement.
The target was spotted by drone operators near the Russian city of Avdeevka in Donetsk People’s Republic, the ministry said. A 152-mm Msta-S self-propelled howitzer was then deployed to strike it.
One Russian crew member, identified by his callsign ‘Yorzyk’ (Hedgehog), said the first Krasnopol fired at the tank had hit its target. He added that he and his team was not aware that they were firing at an American-made vehicle, which has a reputation for being strongly protected. The artillerists were delighted to confirm that they can “destroy anything in a snap, to put in bluntly,” ‘Yorzyk’ stated.
A video released by the ministry includes the purported moment of the hit, filmed from the air from several directions. The Krasnopol weapon system uses laser guidance for its homing capability, with targeting provided by either an operator on the ground or a drone. The munitions first entered service in the late 1980s and come in several calibers for different guns.
According to Western media reports, Kiev was forced to sideline Abrams tanks on the battlefield due to the threat from Russian drones and artillery forces. At least five of the 31 tanks were confirmed lost as of April, the Associated Press reported at the time, citing US military officials.
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