A video released by the Russian Defense Ministry on Tuesday demonstrates the use of main battle tanks at a key flashpoint in the northern part of the front line in the Ukraine conflict.
The clip featured a tank unit deployed on the Krasny Liman front. Crews of the T-80 BVMs were tasked with targeting enemy positions and disrupting their logistics, the ministry explained. The BVM variant is one of the more recent modifications of the ‘workhorse’ tank used by the Russian army.
According to the ministry, the tank battalion recently prevented the rotation of Ukrainian forces near the village of Torskoye, where Russian troops secured a favorable position, extending into enemy lines in July.
The area is located on the border between the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic, some 10km east of Krasny Liman, a major Ukrainian stronghold.
The footage, which has not been independently verified, appeared to be shot away from the front line rather than during actual combat.
This year’s positional warfare in the Ukraine conflict has been a challenge for heavy weapons on both sides due to extensive deployment of drones, which make surprise maneuvers with armored vehicles highly risky. The tanks featured in the clip were heavily camouflaged, signaling the importance of hiding such high-value targets from enemy reconnaissance.
The Krasny Liman front has seen some of the most intensive fighting in the Ukraine conflict. Last week Russian troops repelled 13 attempted assaults by Ukrainian forces, the Russian military said in a weekly report.