One of Russia’s most advanced military weapons, the T-90M, was destroyed just days after being deployed in Ukraine.
It is yet another military setback for the Russians, who, according to Newsweek, first sent the tank to Kyiv on April 25.
However, on Thursday (May 4) Ukrainian journalist Andriy Tsapilenko posted an image on his Facebook of the destroyed tank, named ‘Breakthrough’.
In his caption, he wrote: “Here's a fresh up Russian tank T-90 to improve your mood. It's hot, it's smokin' hot. And after him to match BMP and MTLB.”
He explained that Russian invaders had tried to re-enter a village in the Kharkiv region which had recently been liberated by the Ukrainian military.
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However, the Russian troops failed to make headway, with Tsapilenko claiming the destroyed T-90M will be displayed in an upcoming Russian parade on May 9 to commemorate the end of World War II.
According to the Ukrainian outlet Army Inform, the tank was destroyed by an American Javelin anti-tank missile system, which turned the Russian tank into a pile of scrap metal.
The tank is a modernisation of the Soviet T-72 tank and comes equipped with a more powerful engine, improved dynamic protection, panoramic sight, and thermal imaging.
The Defence of Ukraine confirmed the destruction of the tank, tweeting out the military victim on their social media.
The tweeted: “A new T-90M tank, the pride of Russian tank building, was destroyed near Kharkiv. The Ukrainian army turned the T-90M into scrap metal.
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"A parade of Russian equipment is possible in Ukraine. A parade of destroyed armament."
The Russian army, which was expected to easily topple their European neighbours, has suffered significant losses in Ukraine over the past two months.
According to the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, the enemy army has lost about 24,700 personnel, 1,092 tanks, 499 artillery systems, 196 aircraft, 1,907 vehicles, and 89 cruise missiles as of May 5.
It is more personnel than the Russian army had lost in the entirety of the Soviet War in Afghanistan, which lasted from 1979 to 1989, according to the Atlantic.
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It is believed that the losses the Russian military units have suffered will cause them to be weakened for years.
According to British intelligence, Russia’s most elite military forces have been rendered ‘combat ineffective’ as a result of the war in Ukraine.
The British Ministry of Defence gave an intelligence update on Monday (May 2), claiming that Russian forces had been seriously depleted by their war efforts.
In the update, they said: “At the start of the conflict, Russia committed over 120 battalion tactical groups, approximately 65 per cent of its entire ground combat strength.
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“It is likely that more than a quarter of these units have now been rendered combat ineffective.
“Some of Russia’s most elite units, including the VDV Airborne Forces, have suffered the highest attrition levels. It will probably take years for Russia to reconstitute these forces.”
Jayden Collins