There is also heated discussion on Telegram channels that the Leopard 2, the main battle tank of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, was controlled and operated by German soldiers.
The German-made battle tank was shot down during fighting in the Zaporizhia region on Friday and left unable to manoeuvre. Russian special forces then found two dead crew members in the tank and the driver who was still alive.
Russian state news agency RIA Novosti published statements from a Russian commander: “As soon as we destroyed their Leopard, we moved towards the burnt debris. We found that the driver of the tank was seriously injured and the rest were already dead. When the driver got up and saw us, he started shouting: ‘Don’t shoot’.”
And according to the quoted group commander, the driver of the damaged tank said several times that he was not a mercenary, but a Bundeswehr soldier. This seriously injured person also died.
The news spread by the Russian side is now causing debate in Italy as well: Rai News and other media are reporting on this report, which has not yet been independently confirmed. The allegations that German Bundeswehr troops are now allegedly involved in combat operations in Ukraine against Russia may be a targeted provocation by Russian propaganda.
Another possibility is also being discussed on the web: military experts can certainly imagine that a Leopard 2 that was damaged on the contact line but was still ready to drive could be recovered by a team of German mechanics. Had to be picked up – and this recovery team was then taken by surprise by the Russian army.
It will soon become clear who is telling the truth: if there were really German soldiers in the Leopard 2 tanks and they died, the Russian media will very soon present papers or identification tags of these dead people.
