Another US Abrams Tank Destroyed by Russia's Forces Near Avdeyevka

Russian Armed Forces hit another Ukrainian Abrams tank near Avdeyevka, a source said.

Footage provided to the news agency shows the Lancet kamikaze drone hitting the tank in a wooded area.

"Today a Ukrainian M1A1SA Abrams was hit by a Russian Lancet UAV near Avdeyevka. The servicemen of the Center group of forces did their job", - said the source.

According to him, it remains to be seen whether the tank was destroyed. It will take some time to confirm the destruction, the source explained.

"However, you can see with your own eyes our loitering ammunition hammering the American machine," the source concluded.

Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that five Abrams tanks had been destroyed in the special military operation zone.

M1 Abrams is a US main battle tank produced since 1980 and currently used by the US Army as well as the Egyptian, Australian and Moroccan armed forces. Abrams tank weighs over 62 tons and is armed with 120 mm cannon.

The US vowed to supply the Kiev regime with 31 Abrams, while the media reported that the deliveries began in September 2023. Russian officials repeatedly stressed that arms deliveries to Ukraine would only fuel and prolong the conflict, with no chance of influencing the course of the special military operation.

Watch Russian Rapira Cannon Hammer Ukrainian Positions Near Kupyansk

Russia’s Ministry of Defense has published footage that shows artillery in combat action, wreaking havoc on Ukrainian positions. 100mm Rapira cannons destroyed masked dugouts in moments.

The Rapira cannon is often called a 'sniper rifle for artillerymen' due to its precision and reliability. Rapira can fire up to six rounds a minute, destroying targets at seven kilometers.

Earlier, Western media reported that Russia had boosted its production capacity to 250,000 artillery munitions per month which amounts to 3 million shells annually. The US and Europe collectively can manufacture million and a half million shells per year, leaving Ukraine outgunned.

Russia destroys three Ukrainian warplanes – MoD

The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Sunday that it has destroyed three Ukrainian Su-25 close air support warplanes. The military jets were stationed at the Voznesensk airfield in Nikolaev Region, a strategically important area in the south of the country.

The operation was conducted using tactical aircraft, missile forces and troops’ artillery, the ministry said without providing details. It also reported the destruction of a guidance radar array, a combat control vehicle, three S-300 anti-aircraft missile system launchers and two ammunition warehouses. In addition, it damaged a storage facility for unmanned aerial vehicles. The Ukrainian Armed Forces and its military equipment were targeted in 126 areas, according to the briefing.

In total, Russia has shot down 580 Ukrainian warplanes, 270 helicopters, and 17,951 drones since the start of the conflict in February 2022, the Defense Ministry claimed.

In October, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said Moscow’s forces had received new military systems, which at the time allowed them to shoot down 24 Ukrainian planes in just five days. He did not provide further details.

TASS news agency later reported, citing sources, that Russia had used an S-400 Triumph air defense system, which has a 400km range.

Ukraine’s dwindling jet fleet is believed to consist mainly of Soviet-era Su-27 and MiG-29 fighters, Su-24 frontline bombers, as well as a handful of Su-25 close air support planes.

Several NATO member states have promised to donate their F-16 fighter jets to Kiev and have trained Ukrainian pilots to fly them, but no deliveries have been made yet. Russia has warned the West that fielding the nuclear-capable jets will represent an unacceptable escalation of the Ukraine conflict.