Ukraine loses dozens of armored vehicles in Russia’s minefields. Now South Korea is complying with an urgent request.
Seoul – Minefields are designed to restrict the movement of enemy troops – a brutal but common war tactic. This is also common practice in the Ukraine war. Russia in particular has planted mines in areas of occupied territory in frontline areas – although they also pose a great danger to the civilian population.
The Ukrainian army suffered the massive crackdown in June. In the Zaporizhzhia region, the 47th Mechanized Brigade drove into a dense Russian minefield and lost dozens of armored vehicles, including three of its rare Leopard 2R mine clearing vehicles that it had received from Finland just four months earlier.
Ukraine receives replacement for custom-made Leopards from South Korea
The Leopard 2R is a heavy mine clearance vehicle based on the German Leopard 2A4 main battle tank. The Finnish company only manufactured a total of ten such vehicles. The special thing about it: They have a mine plow or dozer blade and an automatic marking system.
The Ukrainian armed forces are now missing these custom-made Leopards. But help is at hand. South Korea has apparently agreed to supply Ukraine with two similar vehicles. South Korea will deliver the so-called K600 Rhino “as soon as possible,” a government source told the newspaper Chosun Ilbo.
The arms deal between Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un is said to have been the deciding factor for the delivery. President Yoon Suk-yeol promised his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyj at the G7 summit in Hiroshima to send demining equipment. He had recently asked for it again vehemently.
South Korea sends mine clearing vehicles to Ukraine – under one condition
The K600 Rhino is produced by the automobile manufacturer Hyundai. The vehicle is based on the K1A1 main battle tank, which is similar to the US model M-1. There is no tower on the converted model. Instead, it is equipped with a plow, an articulated excavator arm and a device for safely triggering magnetic mines.
These are the K600 Rhino Chosun Ilbo According to this, it is the heaviest military equipment that South Korea has provided to Ukraine to date. Probably out of fear of a reaction from Russia, the government is said to have asked Ukraine to only use the vehicles for humanitarian purposes. South Korea’s tank production could also play a larger role in Europe in the future. (mt)
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