Russia's Defense Ministry said on Monday that the country's armed forces had thwarted a major Ukrainian offensive. However, it apparently used fake footage purporting to show the destruction of a Leopard 2 battle tank, DPA reported.

A tractor was actually hit in the video, according to the pro-Russian Telegram channel Military Informant.

Other Russian military bloggers also criticized the report as false. According to nationalist Telegram channel Fighterbomber, the footage was shot last year, when the West had not yet supplied Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said eight Leopard 2 tanks and other military equipment used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces had been destroyed.

According to a decision of a Russian court in Donbass, there are Russian troops, the Kremlin denies

The Russian Defense Ministry regularly exaggerates successes on the battlefield. For example, according to his spokesman Igor Konashenkov, the Russian army shot down more warplanes than Ukraine ever had.

Russia

tractor

battle tank "Leopard"