The British tank was hit by Russian artillery and then hit again as troops tended to it, UK Secretary of Defence Grant Shapps says
UK’s newly-appointed Secretary of Defence Grant Shapps has acknowledged the loss in Ukraine of the first of 14 British-made Challenger 2 main battle tanks supplied by London to Kiev amid its conflict with Moscow.
Video footage appeared on social media on Monday showing what looks like a Challenger 2 tank burning on a battlefield in Zaporozhye Region. More evidence of the destruction of the British armored vehicle was provided by drone footage seen on Russian Telegram channels the next day.
“I can confirm that is correct. It may be the first loss [of a Challenger 2 tank] as far as we’re aware,” Shapps said during a live appearance on Sky News on Wednesday.
“We accept that in the war zone there can be material losses, which is what’s happened here,” he added.
The defense secretary detailed how the ill-fated Challenger 2 had been destroyed, saying that “it was hit by Russian artillery and, actually, as they [the Ukrainian servicemen] were trying to put out a fire, it was hit again.”
Destroyed Ukrainian Challenger 2 outside of Robotyne, most likely from the 82nd Air Assault Brigade. pic.twitter.com/KInjnmfs4F
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) September 5, 2023
