 Putin, Western tanks burn more fiercely than Soviet ones. Ukrainian troops are reluctant to make use of the heavy equipment supplied by Western backers as it has become a liability, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. Western tanks are a priority target for Russian forces and burn more fiercely than Soviet-made equivalents when hit the president told the Russia 24 TV channel. Russian troops have destroyed a total of 311 Ukrainian tanks since June the 4th. Putin said adding that at least the third of them I believe were Western-made tanks, including leopards. I can say that Ukrainian servicemen often refuse to get into those Western tanks because they are a top priority target for our guys and are being destroyed first on the battlefield and they burn like the rest. Probably even better than the Soviet-made ones like T-72, the Russian leader stated. Further Western arms deliveries will not significantly help Kiev on the battlefield, Putin warned adding that it will only make the situation worse for the Ukrainian side, inflaming the conflict further. He added that some parties are deliberately trying to prolong the hostilities.