The Ukrainian army’s 44th Mechanized Brigade has been fighting a rearguard defensive action in and around the ruins of Kostyantynivka in eastern Ukraine’s Donestk Oblast. The aim: to slow the advance of the Russian Center Group of Forces toward Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, the last free eastern cities.
It’s been a costly fight. The 44th Mechanized Brigade is one of a handful of Ukrainian units that operates donated Leopard 1A5 tanks. And the unit has lost 13 of its 31 Leopard 1A5s along the Kostyantynivka axis since November, according to a tally by French historian Stevius.
Add in five additional Leopard 1A5s the 44th Mechanized Brigade lost before the current battle for Kostyantynivka and the unit is down to just 13 tanks. The 44th Mechanized Brigade may eventually be able to replace those 18 Leopard 1A5s as a German-Danish-Dutch continues to restore and send along the 1980s-vintage tanks.
The consortium has pledged 170 of the 49-ton, four-person tanks, around 135 of which have shipped. The Ukrainians converted two into training tanks and five into engineering vehicles. At least 30 have been destroyed. Of the 100 active tanks, 31 are with the 5th Heavy Mechanized Brigade. The others are spread out across the 425th Assault Regiment, the 142nd Mechanized Brigade and the 13th National Guard Brigade.
