British soldiers with the Queen’s Royal Hussars conduct the Offensive Operations lane during the Strong Europe Tank Challenge, June 5, 2018. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)
On February 3, the Sudoplatov Battalion, manned by volunteers in the Zaporozhye Region, has announced a reward of 12 million rubles ($170,000) for each working Challenger 2, M1A2 Abrams or Leopard 2 main battle tank that gets captured within the Russian special military operation in Ukraine.
“The Sudoplatov battalion officially announces that it will pay 12 million rubles for each operational Leopard, Abrams or Challenger tank seized,” the battalion said on its Telegram channel.
The Sudoplatov Battalion is one of several pro-Russian volunteer formations which were formed after the start of the special military operation last year.
The reward came as Ukraine is preparing to receive dozens of Western-made main battle tanks from its allies. On January 14, the United Kingdom announced that it would provide 14 Challenger 2 tanks to the Kiev forces. Later on January 25, the United States announced its intention to send 31 Abrams tanks. On the same day, the German government confirmed that it would transfer 14 Leopard 2 tanks and issue re-export permission to other countries.
Earlier this week, Russian company Fores offered five million roubles ($72,000) in cash to the first soldiers who destroy or capture a Western-made tank in Ukraine. The Urals-based company, which makes proppants for the energy industry, also pledged to pay 500,000 roubles ($7,200) for all subsequent attacks.
The supply of Western-made tanks to Ukraine is meant to gear up Kiev forces for a large-scale offensive against the Russian military in the Spring.
Russia’s state tech corporation Rostec has already warned that existing Russian anti-tank missiles and shells are more than capable of destroying Western-made tanks, specifically the German Leopard 2.
Pro-Russian military Telegram channels are already sharing posters pointing out the weak points of Challenger 2, Abrams and Leopard 2 tanks.
Speaking at an event dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Battle of Stalingrad, President Vladmir Putin said that Russia has more than just armored vehicles to respond to the threat posed by Western-made tanks.
“Those who are dragging European countries, including Germany, into another war against Russia, making especially irresponsible statements about it being a foregone conclusion, and seeking to defeat Russia on the battlefield, apparently, don’t understand that a modern war against Russia will be completely different for them. We aren’t sending tanks to their borders but we have something to respond with, and it won’t be just about using armored vehicles,” the president said.
All in all, it appears that the Russian military is preparing to launch a hunt for Western-made tanks in Ukraine. The failure of these tanks would be a major blow to the Kiev regime and its allies, who are trying to keep the conflict ongoing for as long as possible.
