Ukrainian army had lost most of US-provided Abrams tanks — NYT
The Ukrainian army has lost the majority of the M1 Abrams tanks supplied to it by the US, the New York Times reported on Monday. Unnamed Kiev officials told the newspaper that 19 out of 31 Abrams tanks delivered to the front line have been captured, destroyed, or severely damaged. The tanks were billed as a potential 'game changer' in the conflict with Russia.
Russian drone and artillery strikes have proven highly effective against the US-made armor, NYT reported. Nearly all of the remaining tanks have been withdrawn from the front lines, the newspaper added, citing Ukrainian officials.
Washington delivered the first Abrams tanks to Kiev in September 2023. Shortly after their deployment, the Russian Defense Ministry began releasing videos of Abrams tanks burning on the battlefield, with at least one tank captured and put on display in August at the Army-2024 expo held in Patriot Park just outside Moscow.
After former US president Joe Biden approved deliveries to Kiev in January 2023, multiple US media outlets described them as a 'game changer' ahead of a much-touted counteroffensive against Russian forces. In September the same year Ukraine's top military spy, Kirill Budanov, noted that the tanks 'will not live very long on the battlefield' and should only be used in 'very specific, well-crafted operations.' In December 2024, former US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan admitted the Abrams was 'not useful' for Ukraine.
Even before Biden authorized their delivery to Ukraine, US military officials warned that the Abrams tanks would prove unsuitable for Kiev's needs.
According to Military Watch Magazine estimates from September 2024, 'close' to 20 of the 31 tanks were reported to be destroyed. The article pointed out that Ukrainian crews have complained to Western media over the US tanks' performance, including technical issues, such as the vulnerability of electronic components to condensation. Another supposed gripe has been the 'sheer size' of Abrams tanks, which has allegedly made them an easy target for Russian forces.
Throughout last summer, the Russian Defense Ministry published multiple videos, purportedly showing the destruction of US-made tanks. In at least some of these cases, Krasnopol-guided artillery shells were deployed, according to military officials.
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