A RUSSIAN tank has been obliterated after bungling soldiers drove it right next to a vehicle that had been wrecked a by a landmine.
The embarrassing footage shows the moment hapless Russian troops drove full speed into a field littered with Ukrainian landmines.
5
5
The 13-second clip claims to show a Russian BMP-2 IFV tank burnt out on the side of a field after hitting enemy mines in eastern Ukraine only to be swiftly followed by a second making the same mistake.
The piece of heavy-duty military kit hits two mines along the way, sending large plumes of smoke and dirt into the sky, and is completely destroyed by the blasts.
It comes as reports emerge that Russia has lost a third of its ground force in Ukraine and its offensive in Donbas has fallen “significantly behind schedule”.
UK military spies claim Mad Vlad‘s bumbling troops were unlikely to make any rapid gains in the coming 30 days in a humiliating turn of events for Moscow.
“Russia has now likely suffered losses of one third of the ground combat force it committed in February,” the May 15 assessment by UK Defence Intelligence read.
“Russia’s Donbas offensive has lost momentum and fallen significantly behind schedule.
“Despite small-scale initial advances, Russia has failed to achieve substantial territorial gains over the past month whilst sustaining consistently high level of attrition.”
The briefing explained that Russian forces have lost vital military kit like bridging equipment and reconnaissance drones, leaving them extremely vulnerable to attack.
Most read in The Sun
“Russian forces are increasingly constrained by degraded enabling capabilities, continued low morale and reduced combat effectiveness,” the report went on.
“Under the current conditions, Russia is unlikely to dramatically accelerate its rate of advance over the next 30 days.”
It comes as damning footage has revealed a mass tank graveyard in Chernihiv region.
The clip, shared by Ukrainian adviser Anton Gerashchenko, showed an abandoned railway station packed with burnt out Russian “Z” tanks and armoured vehicles.
Turrets, armoured plates and engines littered the railway station field, showcasing the true extent of Russia’s devastating losses in Ukraine.
There were also piles of rubbish, washing machines, a kid’s bikes and a sack of onions spotted among the stolen loot left behind by the Russians.
Moscow also lost 73 vehicles while attempting to across a river in eastern Ukraine three times.
Two battalions are said to have been wiped out after the suicidal mission to rescue comrades and kit that got stranded on the wrong side of the Donets River in the first disastrous assault.
It comes as Russian forces were forced out of the eastern city of Kharhiv and its surrounding villages.
In response, Russia pummelled positions in eastern Ukraine on Sunday, its defence ministry said, as it sought to encircle Ukrainian forces in the battle for Donbas and fend off a counteroffensive around the strategic Russian-controlled city of Izium.
Russia said on Sunday it struck command centres and arsenals with missiles. These reports were not able to be independently verified.
Izium straddles the Donets river, about 120 km (75 miles) from Kharkiv on the main highway heading southeast.
If Ukraine can sustain pressure on Izium and Russian supply lines, that will make it harder for Moscow to encircle battle-hardened Ukrainian troops on the eastern front in the Donbas.
“The hottest spot remains the Izium direction,” Ukrainian regional governor Oleh Sinegubov said in comments aired on social media.
“Our armed forces have switched to a counteroffensive there. The enemy is retreating on some fronts.”
5
5
5
