Western tanks are proving ineffective against Russia’s multi-layered minefields in the south of Ukraine, a top Ukrainian general told the BBC on Thursday. Gen. Oleksandr Tarnavskyi said that Western battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles gifted to Ukraine were not able to get through the rows of Russian mines on the front lines, slowing down their much-anticipated counteroffensive.
Some of the vehicles became badly damaged, he said, forcing Ukrainian units to leave them behind and advance slowly on foot, at risk of coming under artillery fire.