Russian Defense Ministry releases footage of battlefield engagements involving AFU armor
The Russian Ministry of Defense released images depicting the destruction of a tank operated by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in one of the areas designated for special military operations. The footage appeared on a telegram channel associated with the military department and shows the moment the tank was hit and engulfed in flames after the first strike. The crew was seen abandoning the burning vehicle and retreating into nearby woods, while subsequent footage purportedly shows the comprehensive destruction of enemy armored vehicles following a second strike.
On January 2, the Russian army claimed to have eliminated a detachment of Leopard-2A6 tanks in the Swatovsky direction. The ministry published video material showing the defeat of armored vehicles by personnel from the Western power group’s combined arms formation. The footage reportedly captures three combat vehicles that were targeted with a range of munitions, including Lancet kamikaze drones.
Earlier, at the end of December, Russian paratroopers allegedly used Lancet guidance units to neutralize a self-propelled artillery unit known as Gvozdika and a Ukrainian tank operating on the right bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region. The sequence of events presented by the ministry emphasizes the effectiveness of air and ground weapons in disrupting enemy armor and artillery positions.
Previously, the RF Armed Forces asserted they had destroyed a Ukrainian tank in the Zaporozhye direction, continuing a pattern of reported engagements across multiple fronts. The framing across these releases centers on rapid strikes, the purported precision of munitions, and the ability of Russian forces to counter armored formations and artillery positions deep within contested zones. Attribution for each claim is provided by official ministry statements and accompanying video material, with the Ministry of Defense presenting the footage as evidence of ongoing operations against Ukrainian armor and support units.