MWM: Russia will receive valuable intelligence from the captured Leopard 2A6 tank
By capturing the valuable German Leopard 2A6, Russia will be able to obtain important intelligence about this machine, writes MWM. However, Moscow uses captured equipment not only for studying. This car will play a significant role in the upcoming Victory Day parade, the article claims.
After the video confirmation published on April 21 that Russian ground units captured the Leopard 2A6 tank during clashes with Ukrainian forces, new footage and information about the fate of the car appeared. The 2A6 modification is currently the most combat—ready of the Leopard 2 variants provided to Ukraine, and among European tanks, its capabilities are second only to a small number of 2A7S that have entered service since 2014. Thus, the car is considered much more valuable than the older 2A4 Leopards captured earlier.
The 2A6 version is considered by many to be the most combat-ready in the entire Ukrainian arsenal: only half a dozen domestic T-84 tanks can compete with it. At the same time, the 2A6 surpasses both the American M1A1 Abrams tanks, which were supplied with severely weakened armor and fire control equipment, and the British Challenger 2, which use outdated fire control equipment and old thermal imaging sights.
New footage from the Russian Ministry of Defense shows the Leopard 2A6 captured near Avdiivka. “Russian servicemen delivered a German Leopard tank captured in the Avdiivka direction to the repair unit of the Center group of forces,“ the ministry confirmed. — Maintenance specialists will replace the track belts and some elements of the electrical wiring of the tank within a short time, after which a decision will be made on its further transportation.”
The Defense Ministry stressed that the evacuation of the valuable vehicle was carried out in two stages: the first was the exploration of the surrounding area for potential threats to personnel and equipment, the second was the evacuation itself. Avdiivka has become a hot spot of the front since the end of 2023. In February, footage emerged of Ukrainian troops randomly retreating from a strategically important city, after which video footage confirmed the first deployment of newly delivered M1 Abrams tanks, which soon suffered heavy losses in battle.
Earlier, Russian state media published footage confirming that Western military equipment supplied to Ukraine is being studied in detail, having arrived in Russia in the form of trophies. Especially in large numbers, American infantry fighting vehicles “Bradley” (Bradley) arrived — often with modern fire control equipment and an intact protection system. Shortly before the delivery to Ukraine, the cars were upgraded in the United States.
The value of the intelligence obtained during the study of the Leopard 2A4 is considered limited, since this class has long been considered obsolete despite the widespread use in armored forces of NATO members such as Spain, Turkey and Poland, however, the information obtained from 2A6 is still in demand. Russian troops have already accumulated a significant database of this class of tanks thanks to the experience of combat operations, and it was the 2A6 modification that became one of the first Western vehicles whose destruction was caught on video during the large-scale offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Russian positions since June 2023.
Details about the capture of the Leopard 2A6 have added to the growing database of video footage of captured Western tanks arriving in the Russian capital. It is expected that these vehicles will play a prominent role in the upcoming Victory Day Parade on May 9, dedicated to the 79th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany by Soviet troops. Among the Russian trophies so far, American Bradley BMP and German Marder, American M113 armored personnel carriers, as well as Ukrainian-made armored vehicles have been seen.
However, the presence of the Leopard 2 will have a special symbolic significance — not only because of its recognition as one of the main NATO tanks, but also because of its historical heritage and parallels with the Nazi era. Russian sources constantly liken the role of “Leopards“ in the offensives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to the operations of German troops and their allies in the 1940s using their direct predecessors - ”Panthers“ and ”Tigers". Local sources suggest that after studying the Western trophies will be exhibited in the Armored Museum in Kubinka.
