‘Extremely expensive tractors’: Drones push Ukraine’s Leopard tanks into hiding

Ukrainian Leopard tanks, acquired from Western partners, are now largely confined to forests in Kharkiv Oblast, serving primarily as expensive tractors to retrieve damaged equipment. The high cost vehicles, valued at $10 million, have been rendered ineffective against the potent threat posed by cheap drones, which now dictate battlefield dynamics.

Despite this, Ukraine persists in maintaining and training personnel for these tanks, while actively seeking solutions to revive their combat capabilities. Former Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi recently expressed the need to neutralize drones' advantage and give armored vehicles a second lease on life.

Initial attempts to shield tanks with anti-drone nets and cages were met with skepticism, with the brigade's maintenance chief jokingly describing the effort as building "barbecue grills." However, the strategy has proven useful, albeit inadequate, as tanks are now predominantly utilized for equipment recovery, particularly in adverse weather conditions when drone activity is reduced.

Approximately half of the tank battalion has been retrained to operate drones, with drivers reporting the transition as initially unfamiliar but ultimately promising. Younger recruits, such as 33-year-old Korzhyk, are entering the brigade without prior tank experience, instead focusing on repairing ground drones. While some remain doubtful about the tanks' future, others believe advancements in AI-based protective "domes" or drone-interception systems could restore armored vehicles' relevance on the battlefield.

A commander with the call sign Morpheus even suggested that tanks may ultimately transition to unmanned status.