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What did Russia claim about a Leopard 2?
Summary
A look back at a Russian Defence Ministry claim about Ukrainian armour in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, and the evacuations under way nearby.
What did Russia say it had destroyed in southern Ukraine on 8 June 2023? The Russian Defence Ministry said its forces had hit several Ukrainian army tanks in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, among them a Leopard 2 main battle tank. According to the ministry, it was the first Western-made tank destroyed by Russian forces in the war.
The ministry released a video showing a column of tanks being struck in a field. One of the vehicles in the footage was confirmed to be a Leopard 2.
The claim came from the Russian side, and it was presented as evidence from the southern front, part of the wider Southern Ukraine campaign.
Evacuations nearby
The same period also brought a humanitarian emergency in the south. On 6 June 2023, thousands of civilians were evacuated from the town of Nova Kakhovka and surrounding villages as flooding spread.
Together, the two reports show a southern front in which military claims and civilian displacement were unfolding within days of each other.
