Russia’s Ministry of Defense announced that soldiers from the mechanized brigade of the First Army Corps of the Southern Forces in the Russian military succeeded in seizing the first German combat vehicle of the “Marder” model belonging to the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the special military operation area.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated in a release that the seized vehicle was immediately withdrawn and evacuated from the area, where it was present with the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the Avdiivka axis.
It added, “After liberating Avdiivka, the soldiers did not stop there and continued to liberate nearby towns such as Severnaia and Toninka, after Russian forces took control of the northern and eastern parts of the city.”
The Ministry of Defense quoted the Deputy Chief of Technical Affairs in the Russian Army, saying, “The enemy launched a counterattack, and in one of these counterattacks, this vehicle was seized.”
“The evacuation of the combat vehicle was carefully planned and prepared in advance. A reconnaissance of the area was conducted, a new route was cleared with the assistance of engineers, minefields were cleared, and a unit safely withdrew it.”
He continued, “The vehicle is fully operational, being dismantled and studied. It is utilized to the fullest extent possible.”
The ministry added that the German-made “Marder” vehicle sustained minor damages due to the mines used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in an attempt to destroy the equipment during the evacuation.
The Russian special military operation, which began on February 24, 2022, has entered its second year and aims to protect the residents of Donbass who have been subjected to persecution and extermination by the Kyiv regime for years.
Russian forces thwarted the Ukrainian “counterattack” despite the significant financial and military support provided by NATO and several Western countries allied with Washington to the Kyiv regime.
During the operation, Russian forces destroyed much of the equipment that the West relied on, including German “Leopard 2” tanks and many American and British armored vehicles, in addition to numerous tanks and vehicles provided by NATO member states, which fate was destruction under Russian strikes.
