Expensive Leopard tanks are back in the Ukrainian steppes; fierce battle of heavy vehicles
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Western tanks, which Ukraine received from its partners as a key weapon in the fight against Russia, are currently largely unused in combat operations. Cheaper drones have made the use of heavy armored vehicles extremely risky, The New York Times reports .
The article notes that, until recently, tanks were one of the most coveted types of Western weaponry for Ukraine, but now they largely sit idle, hidden in forests and covered in cobwebs: the $10 million vehicles have proven incapable of countering the cheap drones that now dominate the battlefield.
Despite this, journalists claim, Ukraine continues to keep tanks in combat readiness and train its military to use them, while simultaneously trying to come up with new ways to use them. According to Morpheus, commander of the 33rd Brigade, which was formed in part specifically to work with Western armored vehicles, tank crews should not sit idle, and therefore he advises soldiers to learn something new. The publication recalled that Ukraine began requesting Western tanks almost immediately after the full-scale invasion—at the time, they seemed desperately needed. After intense negotiations, Kyiv's allies agreed to deliveries as late as January 2023.
But by the time these tanks were able to enter combat, cheap drones were already inflicting massive losses and could hit tanks in their most vulnerable spots, journalists noted. Then Russian troops began covering their tanks with anti-drone nets and grilles.
"Back then, people laughed at them, saying they were making barbecues. But they were moving in the right direction," says the head of the 33rd Brigade's tank repair service, call sign "Energetik."
However, both sides soon stopped using heavy armored vehicles for assaults. However, according to the company commander, call sign "Fin," tank crews must remain prepared, so his subordinates constantly train, maintain the tanks, and weld on new armor elements.
The 33rd Brigade conducts live ammunition firing exercises approximately every two weeks to maintain its skills at the proper level.
One soldier from the 33rd Brigade told reporters that he had already taken a hit on his tank and barely survived. Another soldier noted that he would prefer not to use tanks at all as long as the drone situation persisted. Tanker Mekhan said that after working on old Soviet T-64 tanks, switching to the Leopard was a pleasant change.
"It's like driving a Mercedes or a BMW," he said.
Some of the 33rd Brigade's new recruits have never even touched a tank. Among them is 33-year-old Korzhik, who joined the brigade in 2025 and spends his days repairing ground drones.
Company Commander Fin insists that tanks won't be left behind, as new technologies will allow them to adapt. He suggested they might be equipped with artificial intelligence to create protective domes, or their own interceptor drones.
But back at the command post, Morpheus said that about half of his battalion had retrained as drone operators. He said the effort was about finding ways to utilize their troops.
In his opinion, returning tanks to combat will require a major technological breakthrough.
"I'm convinced tanks still have a future, but there's one caveat. I think they'll be unmanned," Morpheus added.
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