The Western tanks sent to Ukraine are, for the most part, kept in reserve and hidden in forests, after drones radically changed the way battles are conducted on the front, reports The New York Times in a feature. The combat vehicles, which can cost about 10 million dollars each, are maintained and used for training, but are rarely deployed in combat missions.
According to the American publication, tanks have become vulnerable to cheap drones, which can hit armored vehicles at their weak points. Both Russia and Ukraine have tried to protect them by mounting cages and anti-drone nets, however, in the end, both sides have reduced the use of heavy armor in attacks.
“In practice, we hardly use armored vehicles at all,” recently stated Oleksandr Sîrski, who until last month was Ukraine’s most important general. “This raises the question: How can we neutralize the advantage that drones enjoy and give a new chance to our armored vehicles?”
In a Ukrainian unit equipped with Leopard tanks, some of these vehicles are currently used for evacuation and towing of damaged equipment. In effect, the tanks end up serving the role of extremely expensive tractors.
Details, HERE