First confirmed British Challenger 2 tank destroyed in Ukraine

A British-made Challenger 2 tank provided to Ukraine was destroyed by Russian artillery, marking the first time the tank has been destroyed in active combat by enemy fire. The hit was seemingly confirmed in an unverified, circulated widely on social media. The clip shows the smoldering wreckage of the tank, identified by its distinctive turret, amidst black smoke. The video itself was reportedly shot by a Ukrainian soldier attempting to flee an artillery barrage in a car. Ukrainian voices can be heard in the background, and another destroyed tank, likely a Soviet T-64, is also visible nearby. Later shots captured by drone confirmed the loss of the tank, as well as the T-64, two BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and a US-made M113 armored personnel carrier.

This incident occurred near the village of Rabotino, in the Zaporozhye Region. The Challenger 2 tanks were supplied by the UK to the elite 82nd Air Assault Brigade for the summer counteroffensive, however, unlike similar incidents involving Bradley IFVs or Leopard 2 tanks, this destruction has not been confirmed by the Russian Defense Ministry. It has, however, been confirmed by new British Secretary of Defense Grant Shapps, who also claimed that the crew of the tank somehow survived.

The only other time a Challenger 2 has been destroyed in combat occurred in 2003 in Iraq, when it was mistakenly fired on by another Challenger 2 tank.

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