The Ukrainian Armed Forces have lost the first Leopard 1A5 tank provided by Germany, according to US business magazine Forbes.
"The Ukrainian army has lost a Leopard 1A5 tank for the first time. A video circulating on the internet shows one of the German-made tanks, believed to belong to the Ukrainian army's 44th mechanized brigade," the publication wrote.
According to the article, the tank was either hit by artillery fire from the Russian army or was destroyed by a mine.
"Open and visible from all sides, the tank was an easy target for a series of artillery shells that flew at it in increasingly accurate salvos. It is also possible that a buried mine struck the vehicle first ... The drone video does not show the crew escaping, but it does show a stationary tank with two turret hatches wide open. This is evidence that the crew escaped," the publication explained.
"But it’s worth asking why that Leopard 1A5 was moving across an open field in broad daylight," it added.
The loss of the Leopard 1A5 tank happened too quickly, even considering its vulnerability: the armor is no more than 70mm thick, Forbes said.
According to the article, every tank has weaknesses. The reason for the loss of the Leopard 1A5 could be that the Ukrainian military uses the equipment carelessly and does not go to great lengths to keep its weaponry safe.
Earlier, on 19 November, media explained that the German Leopard 1A5 tanks given to the Ukrainian forces were brought to the frontline without the necessary protection. The media pointed out that the Leopard 1A5 needs additional armor. With steel armor only 70mm thick at its thickest point, this tank could be the most vulnerable on the battlefield.
The Leopard 1A5 is a modernized version of the Leopard 1 tank, originally developed by Germany in the Sixties.