What You Need to Know:  A German-made Leopard 2A6 main battle tank (MBT) recently captured by Russian forces in Ukraine has been delivered to the Uralvagonzavod plant in Russia, where it will undergo detailed examination.

This Leopard tank, one of the most advanced Western MBTs, could provide Russia with valuable insights into its components and potential vulnerabilities. The analysis is likely to aid Russian efforts in understanding NATO equipment, although it is unclear how much impact this will have on Russian tank development.

Similarly, the U.S. has studied captured Russian tanks, such as the T-90A, for military intelligence purposes.

Russia is Likely Taking a Very Close Look at Capture Leopard 2 MBT

Since antiquity, soldiers have brought home "war trophies" from the battlefield, while captured platforms have long been studied. Such is the case this month with a German-made Leopard 2A6, which was captured in Ukraine.

According to the Defence-Blog, the German main battle tank (MBT) was recently "delivered to the Uralvagonzavod, which makes T-72s," where it will almost certainly undergo a "detailed examination." The site quoted Russian outlets that claimed "experts will analyze the tank's components, systems, and subsystems to evaluate its military and technical capabilities."

Germany's Leopard 2A6 is among the most advanced Western-made MBTs currently in service, and it is widely fielded by multiple NATO members.

"Its capture, therefore, presents a potential opportunity for Russia to study a system that has been actively used against its forces since the early days of the invasion," the Defence-Blog added.

While it is doubtful that any close examination of the Leopard 2 MBT would aid Russian tank development, it could highlight potential weaknesses in the platform.

Bulgarian Military shared a video of the tank being delivered to the Russian facility, the largest tank manufacturer in the country.

"The enemy vehicle is currently on jacks. Specialists from the concern 'Uralvagonzavod' have begun the dissection of components, systems, and units of the 'Leopard.' After carrying out examinations and analyzing the results, an expert assessment of the actual military-technical level of individual systems and the captured vehicle as a whole will be conducted. We have always been and remain in close contact with our soldiers, and the ground forces, as a whole, are our brothers," Uralvagonzavod said in a statement.

It isn't clear when the video was recorded, and this particular Leopard 2A6 appeared to be in very good condition. NATO members have provided around 200 of the MBTs to Ukraine, while around 30 have been destroyed or damaged. Another 15 were captured, but 10 of those were recaptured during counter-offensives Bulgarian Military reported.

The Efforts to Capture Enemy Equipment 

One of the primary goals in wartime is to destroy the enemy's ability to wage war, and throughout history, great efforts have been taken to determine the weaknesses of an adversary's weapons.

During the Cold War, the United States sought for years to obtain a T-72 MBT – and the CIA reportedly even contacted the producers of the 1984 film Red Dawn to determine how the production was able to obtain the Soviet tank. In actuality, the mock-ups were on the chassis of a surplus M8A1, which was based on the M41 Walker Bulldog, but publicity photos of the tanks apparently reached Langley.

A New York business – possibly a shell company for the agency – also tried to smuggle a pair of T-72s out of Poland, and Colonel Oliver North later attempted to trade weapons to Iran for a captured Soviet-made T-72 during the Iran-Iraq War. It was only in 1987 that a Romanian arms dealer managed to sell a T-72 to U.S. agents under the guise that it was scrap metal. By that time, the tank had been in service for 14 years and its design was superseded by more advanced models.

The U.S. military had been far luckier obtaining a T-90, among the most advanced Russian MBTs now in service in Ukraine. In April 2023, a T-90A was spotted on a trailer at a truck stop off U.S. Interstate 10 in Roanoke, Louisiana. The truck hauling it had broken down, and the Russian MBT remained in the parking lot for several hours until a replacement truck was sent.

Online sleuths, who shared their findings on social media, were able to determine the T-90 had been in service with the Russian Army's 27th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade, 1st Guards Tank Army, and that it had been abandoned in Kurylivka, Kharkiv Oblast in September 2022. Pentagon officials later confirmed it was being sent to the Aberdeen Proving Ground, and likely had entered the U.S. through a port in Texas or Louisiana.

Russia may learn some secrets about the Leopard 2, but the U.S. has been closely studying the T-90 MBT as well.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].

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