A Russian tank formation intended to cause devastation in Ukraine has been hit with heavy losses due to low morale and poor discipline, it has been reported.
The 10th tank regiment is part of the 3rd army corps, the first major new Russian formation in the invasion, but it has already lost ‘a large proportion of its tanks, according to British intelligence.
After failing attempts to capture Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, Moscow is diverting the ailing legion to nearby Avdiivka, The Telegraph reports.
There, Kremlin strategists hope the regiment will be able to encircle fewer Ukrainian troops defending the town.
Western analysts believe Russia has lost 1,900 tanks since the beginning of its invasion in March last year.
Russia’s 10th tank regiment is part of the 3rd army corps, but it has already lost ‘a large proportion of its tanks’ (Pictured: An abandoned Russian tank in Kharkiv region)
Poor military decisions have been blamed for heavy losses suffered recently in the Donetsk region.
The Ministry of Defence stated: ’10th tank regiment’s losses have largely been due to tactically flawed front assaults similar o those in other recent failed Russian armoured attacks, such as around the own of Vuhledar.’
Other sources claim the regiment has seen discipline quickly ebb away after a series of military failures. Soldiers among the 3rd army corps are described as poorly disciplined and regularly get drunk.
In addition, troops are said to have received substandard training in Belarus and are using obsolete weapons according to Ukrainian sources.
As a result, Russian forces are now increasingly using armour in attempted suicide missions.
Troops are said to have received substandard training in Belarus and are using obsolete weapons according to Ukrainian sources
Oryx, and intelligence platform that tracks battle losses, says that of Moscow’s 1,900 lost tanks – some 1,147 have been destroyed with a further 500 captured by Ukraine.
Armoured vehicles and artillery howitzers have also been lost by Russia among 10,000 military pieces of military hardware.
But despite these losses, Russia remain on the offensive in eastern Ukraine. Vitaliy Barabash, the top military official in Avdiivka, has banned journalists and aid workers amid efforts to to defend the town from the next wave of attack.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba, has demanded Russia called an immediate end to the invasion.
He said: ‘I want to be clear – Russia has to withdraw from every square metre of Ukrainian territory. There should be no misinterpretation of what the word withdrawal implies.
‘The cessation of Russia’s aggression and the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity are essential conditions for peace. In this fight, we are defending the entire democratic world.’
