The Kremlin on Wednesday welcomed a Russian company’s offer of “bounty payments” for soldiers who destroy Western-made tanks on a battlefield in Ukraine, saying such actions would propel Russian forces to victory.
The Russian company “Fores” this week offered 5 million rubles, equivalent to $72,000 dollars in cash, to the first soldiers to destroy or capture American-made Abrams or German Leopard 2 tanks in Ukraine, the Reuters agency said.
On Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian troops would “burn” any Western tank delivered to Ukraine, adding that the rewards were an additional stimulus for Russian soldiers.
“This testifies to the unity and desire of everyone to contribute to the best of their ability, one way or another, directly or indirectly, to achieve the goals of the special military operation,” Peskov told reporters.
“As for these tanks, we have already said that they will burn. With such incentives, I think there will be even more enthusiasts.”
It is worth mentioning that twelve countries agreed to supply Ukraine with about 100 Leopard 2 tanks.
Those agreements were made at a summit at Ramstein US Air Force Base in Germany, as allied nations discussed military support for Ukraine.
Western-made tanks, far more advanced than those used by Ukraine or Russia in the conflict so far, are unlikely to reach the front lines in eastern and southern Ukraine for several months.
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