The British side acknowledges that it has been destroyed by Russian artillery fire
According to a report on the website of the Ukrainian newspaper Kyiv Independence on September 6th, the newly appointed British Defense Minister Grant Sharps confirmed to Sky News that a Challenger 2 main battle tank provided by the UK to Ukrainian forces was destroyed by Russian artillery fire.
Shapps said, "As far as we know, this may be the first time it has been destroyed... We have provided Ukraine with 14 Challenger 2 tanks. We accept the reality that substantial damage may occur in the theater of war."
He also stated that London does not intend to provide another Challenger 2 tank to compensate for the losses suffered by the Ukrainian army.
According to Sharps, the tank was first hit by artillery fire, and as the crew attempted to extinguish the fire, it was hit by another shell. Sharps said that all the crew members survived.
A video of the Challenger 2 tank being destroyed began circulating on social media on the 5th. Some media reported that the tank was destroyed near Lobozyne in Zaporizhzhia state.
According to reports, the UK confirmed in January this year that it had provided Ukraine with 14 Challenger 2 main battle tanks to support the Ukrainian army's counterattack.
Previously, according to Forbes biweekly, five Panther 2 tanks provided by the West to the Ukrainian army were destroyed during the Ukrainian counterattack.