Video Shows Ukraine Tank Take Out Russian Tank in One-On-One Showdown

A new video reportedly shows a Ukrainian tank blowing up a Russian tank in a single shot as the two sides fight in one of the country's annexed regions.

The video was posted on Twitter by Ukraine Weapons Tracker, a joint account run by Calibre Obscura and Armoby Bazaar, and shows a Ukrainian T-64BV of the 92nd Mechanized Brigade destroying a Russian T-72B-series tank in Novoselivske, in the Luhansk oblast.

In the clip, tanks face off from long distances on a straightaway. The Ukrainian T-64BV blows up the opposition tank in one shot, causing an eruption of flames, and takes another shot nearly 20 seconds later.

Luhansk, along with Donetsk, comprises the larger Donbas region and shares a long eastern border with Russia. Luhansk and Donetsk were two of four territories annexed by Russia in September.

Newsweek could not independently verify the location of the video and has reached out to the Ukrainian and Russian defense ministries for comment.

The Ukraine Ministry of Defense did tweet the same video, however, crediting the 92nd Mechanized Brigade.

In its daily update of eliminated Russian weapons and personnel, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that approximately 94,760 Russian troops have been killed between February 24 and December 12.

A total of 2,966 Russian tanks have been destroyed in that same time span, including 24 tanks destroyed on Sunday alone.

The T-64BV tank is a modernized version of the original T-64B battle tank, but with an upgraded armor package, according to Army Recognition. The original tank's production began in 1985 and they have since been utilized in Russia, Uzbekistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ukraine.

The T-72B MBT is also a modified version of a tank that originally entered service with the Russian military in 1984. The tank's turret possesses an armor package that reportedly provides a much higher degree of protection than any previous model, including a glacis plate with 20 millimeters of appliqué armor, says Army Recognition.

A report Sunday from the city of Kadiivka in the Luhansk region stated that a hotel housing the Wagner mercenary group composed of Russian private military contractors (PMCs) was struck by Ukrainian forces.

Luhansk Governor Serhiy Haidai said that about half of the PMCs are expected to die as a result of the attack.

The fighting continues as already frigid temperatures near the Russia-Ukraine border continue to decrease.

On Sunday, while acknowledging that damp soil could make the ongoing conflict more of a challenge, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov pledged that Ukrainian forces will continue defending their territory.

"But the Ukrainian Armed Forces don't think about stopping...When the soil becomes more solid, I am convinced that we will continue our counterattacks, the campaign to liberate our territories," Reznikov said in remarks translated by The Moscow Times.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in early December that he believes Russia is trying to "freeze" the conflict in order to "regroup and launch a bigger offensive later on."