The Armed Forces of Ukraine reported the “impracticality” of the French light tanks AMX-10RC

The AMX-10RC light wheeled tanks supplied to Ukraine by France are “impractical” in the course of a counteroffensive due to thin armor. About this AFP informed battalion commander of the 37th Marine Brigade with the call sign “Spartan”.

According to him, such tanks are not designed for offensive operations. A serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine spoke about the death of the crew of one armored vehicle after shrapnel pierced the tank’s armor and detonation of ammunition occurred.

Also, the battalion commander reported cases when fragments of an exploding 152-mm projectile pierced the armor. He added that there were also problems with gearboxes, which broke down, presumably due to the use of tanks on dirt roads.

In January, France promised that Kyiv would receive 40 AMX-10RC light tanks within two months. In March, French Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu declaredthat the promised military equipment has already arrived in Ukraine. The Minister did not specify the number of tanks sent.

On June 30, in an interview with the Funke media group, Defense Minister Alexei Reznikov informedthat Ukraine has already received about 60 Leopard tanks. He added, without specifying a number, that France also supplied Kyiv with AMX-10RCs, the UK with Challenger tanks, and the US with Abrams tanks.

After the start of Russia’s special operation in Ukraine, Western countries began to provide financial assistance to Ukraine and supply it with military equipment and weapons. The Russian authorities have repeatedly criticized such supplies, noting the growth of direct and indirect involvement in the conflict of Western countries.