Having sent its last well-equipped units to the Kursk region, the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine deprived the units along the front line in the east and south of Ukraine of vital resources, which led to the loss of several key settlements. This is reported by Forbes magazine.
It is noted that the 21st mechanized brigade and the 225th assault battalion were deployed to the Kursk region. They are equipped with Swedish—made CV90 combat vehicles and Swedish or German-made tanks - Strv 122 or Leopard 2A6. These are some of the best combat vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the newspaper notes.
"Every Strv 122 and Leopard 2A6 is priceless. Ukraine received only 10 Strv 122 from Sweden and 21 Leopard 2A6 from Germany and Portugal, all in 2023. As recently as this spring, about 20 survivors of this 31 tanks belonged to the 21st Mechanized Brigade. While the 33rd and 155th Mechanized Brigades use older and more numerous Leopard 2A4 models and have received several batches of fresh tanks to make up for losses on the battlefield, the 21st Mechanized Brigade with its new tank models is unlikely to receive fresh vehicles. The Swedish and German armies are struggling to maintain their own tank brigades. None of them has demonstrated a willingness to part with their best tanks," the article says.
According to some reports, the 21st mechanized brigade has already lost at least one tank near Kursk, the magazine writes. A video circulated on the Internet at the end of last month shows one Strv-122 burning after being hit by a kamikaze drone. Probably, the tank burned out from the inside and it makes no sense to repair it, even if the Ukrainian troops managed to tow it from the battlefield.
The fact that the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is ready to risk their last few Strv-122 and Leopard 2A6 in Kursk speaks to the importance they attach to the invasion of this area. But attempts to invade make cities in the east and south vulnerable and irreplaceable equipment, the publication states.