The war in Ukraine in the next few weeks will intensify as Kyiv launches a massive counter-offensive.
Will Ukraine be able to push Russia out of all of its territory? What about Crimea?
One thing we know for sure: it seems like Putin will lose a lot of men and weapons over the next few days, as this footage appears to show.
Video Showed Russian Convoy Ambushed in Zaporizhzhia Oblast in Ukraine
A Russian convoy came under Ukrainian artillery fire in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast, resulting in the loss of several vehicles – likely as ammunition carried in transport trucks “cooked off.” Video of the attack was shared across social media on Saturday afternoon.
A nearly minute-long clip showed the convoy lined up on a road outside of the village when it came under attack. The artillery strike on the Russian vehicles was first reported by state media outlet Ukrainska Pravda, which cited reports from the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Office.
“Today, the occupiers can no longer feel safe even in their own rear, it seems. In the village of Zapovitne, Kamianka-Dniprovska district, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, a convoy of military vehicles of the 83rd Brigade of the Russian Airborne Forces came under targeted fire from Ukrainian artillery,” Ukrainian officials explained, adding, “Among them, there is a truck loaded with ammunition, which set off a real firework in the end. The liberation of our territories continues.”
The destruction of the vehicles – as well as the exact number – hasn’t been independently verified.
Ukraine Offensive Underway
Fighting remains intense in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast days after Kyiv’s forces launched their long-anticipated counter-offensive earlier this week. The operation in the region followed an earlier wave of attacks in the Donetsk Oblast and around the destroyed city of Bakhmut.
The Zaporizhzhia Oblast however is expected to be crucial to Kyiv’s efforts toward driving back Russian forces, as the southern territory serves as a “land bridge” between Crimea and mainland Russia. Ukraine’s forces may be attempting to advance toward the Sea of Azov, which would split Russia’s forces into two detached groups. Moreover, cutting off the peninsula, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014, would be a major blow to the Kremlin and to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The video also comes just days after Russian propagandists claimed that a number of Western-made vehicles – notably Leopard 2 main battle tanks (MBTs) and American M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles – had been disabled or destroyed as the counter-offensive kicked off. It would be over-dramatic, however, to suggest that the losses of those vehicles were suggested a “setback” for Kyiv or that its counteroffensive had faltered.
Offensive operations often see heavy losses, especially in the early stages, but as noted on Saturday, both sides are seeing their respective casualties mount. Kyiv remains optimistic about how the counteroffensive has been going even as it hasn’t exactly been a “blitzkrieg” style breakthrough as yet.
“The enemy is actively on the defensive,” Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar wrote on the social messaging platform Telegram earlier this week.
The Value of the Trucks
Even as it was all but expected that some Western tanks would be lost in the fighting, it is still significant that a Leopard 2 (or a few) have been damaged or destroyed. Yet, the Russian losses of trucks also shouldn’t be seen as insignificant.
As previously reported, the role of trucks in wartime simply can’t be overstated. The Kremlin has had to rely on trains to move supplies but trains obviously can’t reach the frontlines. Russia had a truck shortage before the war began, and every additional one that is lost is a true setback for Moscow.
Russian convoy was targeted by Ukrainian artillery, destroying several vehicles. Looks like ammunition explosion.
The convoy was near Zapovitne, Zaporizhzhia Oblast.#Ukraine #Zaporizhzhiapic.twitter.com/ABWJ1NFg5Z
— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) June 10, 2023
Author Experience and Expertise
A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
