The Frontline Realities of Leopard Tanks in Ukraine

A Leopard 2A6 main battle tank near the front lines in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. (Photo by Benjamin Mack-Jackson)

Interview and photographs done on location by Benjamin Mack-Jackson in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, 23 December 2023.

When Leopard tanks arrived in Ukraine before its much-anticipated counteroffensive operation in the Spring of 2023, many believed these German-manufactured tanks would give the Ukrainian Armed Forces an edge over the Russians and help achieve swift victories on the battlefield. Despite their reputation as 'wonder weapons' both in Ukraine and abroad, Leopards have faced a different reality at the front. Late last month, I was granted access to visit front line positions of the 21st Mechanized Brigade in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, to see firsthand how these tanks are being used in action and the challenges their crews face.

Andrii, who leads a battalion equipped with Leopard 2A6 tanks – the most modern Leopard variant sent to Ukraine – spoke candidly with me about the difficulties faced during their recent counteroffensive in the Robotyne direction. The issues stem back to preliminary training in Germany.

"The first two (Leopard) companies were trained in Germany," he said. "But they were trained under a shortened program. They studied for a month. My staff only studied for a week, but I was not allowed to cross the border."

Andrii, a tank battalion commander in the Ukrainian 21st Mechanized Brigade stands in front of a Leopard 2A6 main battle tank near the front line in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. (Photo by Benjamin Mack-Jackson)

When his crews returned, and the tanks arrived at the front, plans for a counteroffensive were well underway. "Leopards came to us in the spring," he explained. "Since a large-scale offensive was planned at that time, we could not coordinate well – there was no time."

Andrii also highlighted the difficulties in adapting foreign tactics taught by instructors who lacked combat experience in similar terrain. "The theater of operations we have here is completely different from the theater of operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, or other countries where those who taught us studied," he stated. He believes that this disconnect in tactics led to ineffective convoy attacks, resulting in the loss of valuable equipment and personnel. "These attacks in convoys only led to losses in good equipment, foolishly, and very good guys - motivated, young, strong."

From the outset of the counteroffensive, Andrii had skepticism. "I have been fighting for a long time to have any illusions," he confessed. "To be honest, when the counterattack plan was being developed, I knew for sure that nothing would come of it."

Andrii claimed that the plan initially aimed to seize 15 kilometers of heavily defended territory in four hours of fighting. Questioning the tactics of those who devised such a plan, he believes it was unrealistic from the start. "I don't know who planned it or what consultants advised such a pace of advance – it's unrealistic, just unrealistic."

Riding atop a Leopard 2A6 main battle tank in Ukrainian service, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. (Photo by Benjamin Mack-Jackson)

Minefields added to the challenges. "It's completely mined," Andrii said, referring to the terrain on the current battlefield. "Kilometers and kilometers of minefields. Nowhere in the world has such mining ever been used."

Andrii reported that complaints about the strategy were ignored and had disastrous results. "We knew about it, we reported it," he said. "And we were told: You don't understand anything, we studied in England, we know everything."

The Russians were waiting for them on the first day of the offensive. "They knew where we would enter, how we would enter, and in what order," he recalled. "There were traps prepared."

After the experience of the first battles, when it was clear their initial strategy was failing, Andrii said his unit reverted to tactics used during successful campaigns, including the 2022 defense of Mykolaiv and the liberation of Kherson. But the change came too late. "Most of the equipment and personnel were disabled during the assault by convoys," he admitted.

Describing the Leopards' significance, Andrii emphasized their role as night hunters with excellent optics and firepower. However, he acknowledged that using them for assault operations was not ideal due to vulnerabilities in their design.

A Ukrianian Leopard 2A6 with scars of an anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) hit on the left side of the turret. (Photo by Benjamin Mack-Jackson)

"The sides are not sewn up; its turret is not sewn up. Moskals are well aware of this," he said, referring to the vulnerability of Leopards in specific areas. "Moskals, who had never seen a Leopard 2A6 – it was not exhibited anywhere, had never fought – but they knew exactly where to shoot. The shots came at the weakest point."

Drones also pose a significant threat. Although Andrii said his Leopards can hold blasts well and are relatively difficult to penetrate, several weak points render the tank useless if struck. "They hit the reservoirs with drones, the reservoirs catch fire, and the whole vehicle burns down," he explained. "They use drones to knock out the batteries, and the tank stops because the entire control of the Leopard tank is electric. Everything, the turret, the engine - everything is electric. Once they knock out the batteries, the tank stops."

He says that attacks from projectiles and drones often disable and destroy Leopard 2 tanks but have only once penetrated the armor. During a recent action near Zaporizhzhia, one Leopard 2A6 in his battalion survived a direct hit from an anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) to the right side of the turret, where the loader is positioned.

A Ukrainian Leopard 2A6 underway in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. (Photo by Benjamin Mack-Jackson)

According to a recent article published in Business Insider, using sources from German media and government officials, Ukrainian forces have lost many of their modern Leopard 2 tanks and are now struggling to maintain their surviving examples. Andrii confirmed these issues, citing losses in combat, mechanical problems, lack of spare parts, and the need for additional foreign support to keep his remaining Leopards operational. Due to these issues, some active Leopards are reportedly used as long-range artillery instead of their intended purpose as offensive weapons.

With Ukraine now engaged in a brutal war of attrition against entrenched Russian forces across the front line, offensive action grows more difficult by the day, but fighting continues.

"It's tough," Andrii affirmed. "Those who are better prepared are the ones who survive."