A Russian commander killed himself after finding all but one of his unit’s tanks were completely stripped of crucial parts, according to Ukraine’s military.
The Land Forces of Ukraine said that invading forces have suffered such heavy losses that their units have been forced to get new military equipment from long-term storage at an airport just 21 miles from the border.
“The condition of this equipment is mostly extremely unsatisfactory, which makes its full use impossible,” the Ukrainian force said on Telegram.
Russia’s 4th Panzer Division “found out that out of 10 ‘canned’ tanks, only one is in a more or less operational condition. The rest are completely dismantled. Some of them don’t even have engines!” the Ukrainian forces claimed.
“According to available information, the commander of the 13th Panzer Regiment of the 4th Panzer Division of the Russian Federation shot himself,” the message said.
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry shared the same report, quipping that “the number 13 of the regiment” had indeed proven to be unlucky.
It said the apparent suicide was part of the “consequences of the liberation of Trostyanets in the Sumy region by the Ukrainian military and the defeat of the Kantemirov tank division.”
Lt. Gen. Serhiy Kisel, the commander of another unit, the 1st Panzer Army, was also “removed from office” because of “huge losses and the failure of the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” the ministry claimed.
“It was impossible for the Russian leadership to turn a blind eye to poor command of the troops,” the ministry said.
Ukraine’s military claimed Tuesday that more than 17,000 Russian troops have been killed — and nearly 600 tanks and 1,710 other armored vehicles destroyed.