Ukraine loses 16 US-made armored vehicles
The 16 US Bradley infantry combat vehicles account for about 15% of the 109 that Washington has handed Ukraine.
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American soldiers drive a Bradley fighting vehicle in the countryside of Deir Ezzor in northeastern Syria, Dec. 8, 2021. (AP)
According to open-source intelligence assessments, Ukraine has lost 16 US-supplied armored vehicles in the last few days, while the country's military reported that its forces had taken three villages from Russia in an attack in the eastern Donetsk area.
Jakub Janovsky of the Dutch open-source intelligence website Oryx stated that the 16 US Bradley infantry combat vehicles that have been destroyed, damaged, or abandoned in recent days constitute about 15% of the 109 that Washington has handed Kiev.
The Bradley combat vehicle, which runs on tracks rather than wheels, can convey up to ten men into battle while delivering support fire.
The United States first sent the IFVs to Ukraine earlier in the year. The Pentagon announced in early January a military assistance package for Ukraine worth $3.75 billion includes 50 Bradley fighting vehicles, 500 TOW anti-tank missiles, and 250,000 rounds of 22mm ammunition.
When Washington declared in January that it would provide Bradleys to Ukraine, CNN military expert and retired general James "Spider" Marks remarked at the time that the Bradleys would require the correct balance of additional capabilities, such as air support, long-range artillery, and astute intelligence.
He stated that “A single piece of equipment like the Bradleys is wonderful, but it needs to be used in conjunction with all those other enablers."
Ukraine's military lacks air assistance, however, the country's troops are slated to receive F-16 multirole fighter planes from Western partners in the future. According to Oryx, the Bradleys are among over 3,600 pieces of military equipment lost by Ukraine during the war.
Similar to German equipment, US equipment does not seem to be all that reliable for Ukraine, with Russian bombardment taking down Bradley heavy infantry fighting vehicles less than a month after striking the renowned Patriot missile system donated to Ukraine.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said that the “Enemy armored forces are currently launching more and more attacks in the [Zaporizhzhia] direction. However, Russian anti-tank troops stand in their way, cold-bloodedly turning Western armored vehicles into scrap heaps."
Losses from the recent Ukrainian offensive in Zaporozhye, this is a serious loss in armor for absolutely no gain. All of that western trained manpower and material just gone. pic.twitter.com/5FC9GfYNEh
— ayden (@squatsons) June 9, 2023
The Russian air defense force managed to shoot down one Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet close to Platonovka of the Donetsk People's Republic, in addition to numerous Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday.
Kiev's forces continued waging failed offensive operations in South Donetsk and Zaporozhye and near Artyomovsk, also known as Bakhmut.
Moscow noted that two columns of Kiev's armored vehicles were also hit in the Zaporozhye region with three attempted offensives failing in the area.
In total, near the DPR and Zaporozhye, Ukraine lost 300 servicemen, nine tanks, including four leopard tanks, 11 infantry fighting vehicles, 14 armored fighting vehicles, six motor vehicles, and one French Cezar self-propelled artillery system.
