Russia blow after losing half its tanks as troops struggle to meet Putin's demands
Oryx, an open source intelligence website, revealed that Russia could have lost up to half of all its operational tank fleet since the beginning of the war on Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin, the website claims, is now short of up to 1,000 tanks.
They added that a further 544 Russian tanks have been tanks by Ukrainian forces, 79 have been damaged and 65 have been abandoned by Russian troops.
A military analyst writing for the website, Jakub Janovsky, said: "Russia started the war with around 3,000 operational tanks ... so there is a good chance that Russia has lost one half of (its) usable tanks."
Speaking to CNN in September, Janovsky said that Russia would find difficulties in replacing tanks,
He said: "Due to sanctions they might have to replace sensors and electronics with inferior alternatives - and the amount they can produce in the near term is a fraction of what they are losing. Those material losses ... are not sustainable."
It comes as Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky on Thursday addressed the European Parliament as he seeks more military aid, saying Ukraine and the European Union are fighting together against Russia - in his words "the most anti-European force" in the world.
Zelensky received standing ovations before, during and after his speech to European lawmakers. He held up an EU flag after his address and the entire legislature stood in somber silence as the Ukrainian national anthem and then European anthem "Ode to Joy" were played.
"Europe will always be, and remain Europe as long as we are together and as long as we take care of our Europe, as we take care of the European way of life," he said.
Zelensky added that Russia wants to destroy the European way of life, but "we will not allow that."
Before Zelensky spoke, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said allies should consider "quickly, as a next step, providing long range systems" and fighter jets to Ukraine. Metsola said the response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine "must be proportional to the threat, and the threat is existential."
Zelensky's high-profile pursuit of more Western military aid came as evidence mounted that Russia's anticipated offensive around the anniversary of the invasion is starting to take shape.
The Kremlin's forces "have regained the initiative in Ukraine and have begun their next major offensive" in the eastern Luhansk region, most of which is occupied by Russia, the Institute for the Study of War, said in its latest assessment.
They added: "Russian forces are gradually beginning an offensive, but its success is not inherent or predetermined."
Zelensky will be using the dais of the European Parliament to make his point in a plenary session, hoping to match Wednesday's speech to Britain's legislature when he thanked the nation for its unrelenting support.
That same support has come from the EU. The bloc and its member states have already backed Kyiv with some 50 billion euros in aid, provided military hardware and imposed nine packages of sanctions on the Kremlin.
After the solemn words at parliament, Zelensky will move to the urn-shaped Europa building for a working session with the 27 leaders.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...26b89f437d58ca