Ukrainian Troops Capture Their 1st Russian Turtle Tank - With Entire Crew

That the tank crew evidently surrendered is another indication of declining Russian morale as well as a growing number of Ukrainian battlefield successes.

This is especially noteworthy given the western media reports this year about Ukraine on its back foot which has dominated the narrative, but which appears increasingly out of date. JL 

Brendan Cole reports in Newsweek:

Ukraine's troops captured a Russian "turtle" tank, along with its crew, and drove it away. No details about location or date were given although a post from a Ukrainian blogger indicated it was captured in 'the eastern direction,' which generally means on the Donbas front. A video filmed by drone shows the tank surrounded by trees with troops standing inside. A close-up reveals one soldier being handcuffed as he looks around. The vehicle reverses onto an offroad track and drives off.

Video just released by Ukraine's military shows Kyiv's troops capturing a Russian military vehicle dubbed a "turtle" tank, along with its crew, and driving it away.

The "turtle" nickname came as a result of Russian engineers fitting crude metal structures on tanks to protect them from anti-tank fire, a move copied by Ukraine.

 

A 76-second video filmed by drone shows a tank surrounded by trees with troops standing inside. A close-up reveals one soldier being handcuffed as he looks around. He vehicle then reverses onto an offroad track and drives off.

 

A bird's eye view from a different angle shows the yellow and blue Ukrainian flag being hoisted on top of the vehicle. No details about location or date were given in the post, about which Newsweek has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry for comment.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense posted a still image of its troops sporting broad grins as they posed in front of the vehicle's turret with their country's flag fluttering behind them.

 

"A trophy 'turtle' tank in service with the #UAarmy," the post said. "The warriors from the 22nd Mechanized Brigade captured a Russian tank with a metal roof atop its hull and turret."

Pro-Ukrainian X user Jürgen Nauditt, who gives regular updates about the war, posted next to screen grabs of the scene, "for the first time, the Armed Forces captured a Russian turtle tank and captured its crew in the eastern direction."

 

Meanwhile, in sharing the video, Ukrainian internal affairs adviser Anton Gerashchenko wrote how it showed "Ukrainian warriors capturing a Russian' 'turtle tank' in a post that ends with the word "Glory!"