Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine (2 year anniversary)

This list only includes destroyed vehicles and equipment of which photo or videographic evidence is available. Therefore, the amount of equipment destroyed is significantly higher than recorded here. Loitering munitions, drones used as unmanned bait, civilian vehicles and derelict equipment are not included in this list. All possible effort has gone into avoiding duplicate entries and discerning the status of equipment between captured or abandoned. Many of the entries listed as 'abandoned' will likely end up captured or destroyed. Similarly, some of the captured equipment might be destroyed if it can't be recovered. When a vehicle is captured and then lost in service with its new owners, it is only added as a loss of the original operator to avoid double listings. When the origin of a piece of equipment can't be established, it's not included in the list. The Soviet flag is used when the equipment in question was produced prior to 1991. This list is constantly updated as additional footage becomes available.

Reporting From Ukraine:
https://www.youtube.com/@RFU/videos

The complete transcript.
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[ Russians in Shock. Foreign Fighters Launch Counterattacks in Kursk! ]

Today [ Apr 22, 8 pm ], there are many updates from the Kursk direction.

Here, elite Ukrainian units backed by NATO-supplied weaponry are pushing deeper into Belgorod, but Ukrainians are not the only ones fighting; leading the charge is now a fierce group of Colombian stormtroopers. Trained for jungle warfare and hardened by fighting brutal cartels, they’ve become a nightmare for Russian marines, VDV, and even North Korean commandos - and they’re just getting started.

Currently, the elite 47th Mechanized Brigade has deployed to Belgorod, reinforcing the second Ukrainian incursion across the Russian border. Fighting with Western weapons under a NATO-style command, they use FPV drones to strike Russian supply lines and scout targets for Ukrainian airstrikes. Alongside them is the brigade’s largest foreign volunteer unit, an assault grenadier company, comprising almost entirely Colombian fighters.

Colombians make up a significant portion of Ukraine’s foreign fighters. With a 1-2 year mandatory military service and the 2nd-largest army in South America, Colombia offers a large pool of experienced soldiers to recruit. With extensive experience and training in fighting drug gangs and cartels, they are used to operating with scarce resources in harsh conditions.

One Colombian volunteer fighter notes how the fighting in Ukraine is much more advanced, securing positions with drones and artillery, before advancing with high support. However, their instructors report that the extensive military experience of the Colombian volunteers make them expert fighters, once trained and ready for the battlefield of Ukraine.

Lieutenant Hamlet Avagan, commander of the 47th’s Colombian Volunteer Company, explains that the Colombian fighters communicate clearly, both with each other and with him, can carry out missions independently, and that many prefer frontline roles, showing strong motivation and combat spirit.

However, he adds that high costs severely limit recruitment; while Colombian assault troopers receive the same $3,000 salary, the brigade must cover travel expenses. He notes that 200 Colombians joined his unit in March, but over 2,000 more remain in Colombia, waiting for a ticket they cannot afford.

He describes how the Colombian grenadiers have repeatedly proven themselves in combat, taking on elite Russian marines, VDV units, and even North Korean commandos. In one mission, Russians had pushed close to the brigade’s rendezvous point, threatening to overrun Ukrainian soldiers there. 6 Colombians were dispatched in a Bradley armored fighting vehicle to stop the Russian advance. Under heavy fire, the Bradley disembarked the assault group.

They moved in pairs: 2 advancing while 4 provided covering fire, moving closer and clearing a building packed with Russian troops using grenades and rifle fire. Despite Russians unleashing a barrage of bullets and explosives, they kept their composure, completed the mission, and withdrew without casualties; later praised by their commander for executing a flawless assault.

In another engagement, the Colombian assault company faced off against a massive wave of North Korean soldiers as they tried to gain a foothold on Ukrainian defenses. Soldiers of the Company shared geolocated footage of them taking out 4 BMP’s loaded with North Korean soldiers with Stugna-P anti-tank missiles. After the surviving North Koreans scattered to their positions, the Colombian grenadiers were deployed in hit-and-run tactics, supported by armored fighting vehicles, drones, and artillery.

In a battle spanning over 10 days, the Colombians and Ukrainians utterly decimated the North Korean forces, resulting in a series of disastrous Russian rescue operations - that you might remember from previous reports. For their exceptional job, their commander notes that he ensures the fighters are treated as kings when they return, not having to clean their weapons, and receiving 1 or 2 days to recuperate between each assault mission.

Overall, the deployment of Colombian stormtroopers alongside Ukraine’s elite brigades has added a decisive advantage in the fight against the Russian invasion. From coordinated assaults with Bradley vehicles to repelling North Korean mass assaults, their performance has earned them deep respect among Ukrainian ranks.

Led by seasoned officers, highly motivated, and well-cared for, these fighters continue to prove their value with every mission. While financial constraints still limit broader recruitment, their presence has already made a tangible impact, turning the tide in several key battles, and others laying down their lives for a free Ukraine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyRADBoFOvg

The war bump in oil prices is ow completely over, and prices are back down to below pre-war levels. (Been declining fairly consistently for the last two years)

Russian Urals is now selling for $50/bbl (having peaked around $80 in early 2023), but its total oil export volume is lower than before the war.

Every dollar drop in the price of oil translates into over a $2 Billion change in Russian Government revenue (about 2.2), over the course of a year.

With a 2025 budget based on $70 oil, an average price of $50 would blow another $44 Billion hole into Russia’s budget, which is already running a big deficit, due to other lost revenue and increased spending. The National Wealth Fund had around $35 Billion in liquid assets remaining at the start of the year (according to official Russian reporting), so that is no longer going to be able to fill the gap, as it was designed to do, and has done so far in the war.

A bright note for Russia is a 30% surge in the price of gold, so we can expect that a lot of the remaining Russian gold reserves will be loaded on trains for China this year. How much of that they really have left is a question for the Intel community, because that is about the last thing that the Russian Government would report honestly.

“While financial constraints still limit broader recruitment [of these seasoned Colombian troops], their presence has already made a tangible impact, turning the tide in several key battles, and others laying down their lives for a free Ukraine.”

A very interesting video, with many comments. Six people commented or expressed enthusiasm that a GoFundMe effort would be valuable. Around 2,000 more Colombian veterans are eager to join Ukraine on the battlefield. They will be paid a salary once they arrive, but lack the funds to travel from Colombia to Ukraine.

I had heard of GoFundMe but had no idea how it works. In fact it is an organization which helps groups manage their fund raising efforts. GFM charges VERY SMALL fees to provide these services. GFM sounds like a good deal for those who would like to help these enthusiast Colombian warriors add to Putin’s motivation to take his troops back to Muscovy mir. Just Google “GoFundMe” to learn more about starting such a fund. Who would have imagined crack Colombian troops fighting North Koreans in Russia and Ukraine prior to 2/24/22?

For those concerned with Venezuelan misbehavior in our own hemisphere, it is nice to know Colombia is in good shape to keep Venezuela from expanding in their direction.

It is also nice to know that as Ukraine pulls back in Kursk, they are now able to frustrate Putin in the Belgorod direction.

China rejects Russia’s proposal to sell more natural gas through Kazakhstan - The carcass of Gazprom (long the goose that laid golden eggs for Russia) lies on the chopping block.

OilPrice.com reports:

“China has put an abrupt stop to a Russian proposal to export added volumes of natural gas eastward via Kazakhstan, deepening the financial woes of the erstwhile Russian energy behemoth, Gazprom.

The Russian state-controlled entity, once a critical foreign policy instrument of the Kremlin, has been forced to abandon projects in Central Asia and Latin America recently due to a lack of fiscal muscle.

Gazprom has been urgently looking east to add export volume after the dramatic loss of market share in Europe. One idea promoted by Gazprom representatives was exporting an additional 35 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas to China via Kazakhstan’s existing pipeline network.

On April 15, China’s envoy to Russia, Zhang Hanhui, put a pin in Gazprom’s trial balloon. “The supply of [additional] gas from the Russian Federation through Kazakhstan is not possible, because there is one gas pipeline and it is overloaded. If we transport [more] Russian gas along this route, we will have to build a new [pipeline]. It is quite expensive. The Russian side is studying [this option], but it is not realistic. In fact, it is not going to work,” the Interfax news agency quoted Zhang as telling Russian journalists. Zhang insisted that to facilitate additional Chinese gas imports, the already planned Power of Siberia 2 (PS-2) route via Mongolia would be a better option.

Construction of PS-2, which has a projected capacity of 50 bcm, was originally slated to start last year (then planned to start operating in 2030), but the project has faced delays due to unresolved financing questions and political factors. Russia’s and Gazprom’s lack of resources to fund the cost of new pipeline construction appears to be one of the major obstacles facing the country’s energy industry.

Once a cash cow for the Kremlin, the Russia-Ukraine war has caused Gazprom’s gas unit to hemorrhage money after the company lost most of its lucrative European gas markets. The entity reported a loss of about $7 billion in 2023 for the first time in its history; annual losses grew to around $10 billion in 2024. The red ink is expected to expand from a puddle into a lake in the coming decade; according to some media reports, Gazprom losses are projected to total $179 billion over the next 10 years at current exchange rates.

The Moscow Times reports that a major restructuring of the Gazprom is in the offing, including the selling off of assets and layoffs of up to 40 percent of staff at the company’s headquarters. “Gazprom’s gas business is suffering catastrophic losses, along with it, the Russian budget is running out of money, about 40 percent of which [Vladimir] Putin spends on war,” the Moscow Times report commented.

Already, Gazprom has had to cease involvement in energy development projects in Bolivia, India, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Venezuela, due to the heavy losses they were incurring.”

Every man for himself! More and more oil capacity is coming online this year, as the capital investments driven by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are now bearing fruit. Ready to replace Russian production, and take their market share - chance of a lifetime.

Kazakhstan tells OPEC+ to go pound sand, as they Drill, Baby, Drill.

OilPrice.com reports:

“Kazakhstan has sparked fresh tensions within OPEC+ by asserting that its oil production strategy will be governed by national interests rather than group quotas, raising questions about future compliance and cohesion within the cartel.

Kazakh Energy Minister Erlan Akkenzhenov told Reuters on Wednesday that the Central Asian producer, which pumps around 2% of the world’s oil, cannot reduce output at key projects led by foreign majors such as Chevron and ExxonMobil. Megaprojects such as Tengiz, Kashagan, and Karachaganak make up 70% of Kazakhstan’s production, and they are expanding, further pushing national output above OPEC+ targets.

The timing is particularly sensitive. OPEC+ recently acknowledged an accumulated overproduction of 457,000 barrels per day and committed to offsetting that volume by June 2026. That admission, as reported by OilPrice.com, has intensified scrutiny on members whose output exceeds agreed limits. Kazakhstan’s posture now risks complicating those already fragile balancing efforts.”

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