British Tanks Involved in Ukrainian Offensive into Russia’s Kursk Region

MOSCOW – Ukrainian forces are using British Challenger 2 main battle tanks inside Russia’s Kursk Region, Sky News reported on Thursday (15/8/2024).

The UK government has donated 14 of its main battle tanks, and is encouraging other NATO countries to provide their heavy weapons, after the delivery was announced in January 2023.

The tanks were delivered to Ukraine’s 82nd Air Assault Brigade, but most were kept in reserve, after several were destroyed by Russian drones and artillery during Kiev’s counter-offensive later that year.

The 82nd Brigade is one of the Ukrainian units currently participating in the offensive into Russia.
Sky News said the expeditionary force had deployed several Challenger 2 tanks, citing anonymous sources.

The outlet did not provide further details about the use of British armoured vehicles on Russian soil.

On Wednesday, a Russian military-focused Telegram channel claimed video of a drone strike on a Ukrainian tank released earlier by other media outlets showed the destruction of a Challenger 2.

The footage, originally published last Sunday, purportedly shows a Lancet munitions attack near the town of Sheptukhovka in the Kursk Region.

The settlement was at the time marked as being close to an active front line by Radio Free Europe, a US-funded news outlet.

The US and its allies have claimed they had no prior knowledge of Ukraine’s attack on Russia, but have expressed support for it and its use of weapons.

Britain’s Labour government stressed this week that its policy on donated weapons was no different from that of the previous Conservative government.