Ukraine rapidly losing US Abrams tanks – media

Military Watch estimates that 20 of the 31 units supplied to Kiev have been destroyed, badly damaged or captured

The rate at which Ukraine is losing US-supplied Abrams M1 main battle tanks has recently accelerated, Military Watch Magazine has claimed. According to the outlet’s estimates, Kiev has lost more than two thirds of its Abrams tanks in the past six months.

US President Joe Biden announced the decision to send 31 of the tanks to Ukraine in January 2023. However, it was only last September that the first batch arrived.

In an article on Sunday, Military Watch, citing footage published by the Russian military, reported that the “rate at which Ukrainian forces have been losing Abrams tanks has increased significantly.”

The outlet noted that in the past few weeks, videos have emerged purportedly showing the destruction of three US-made tanks and the capture of one more in the Donetsk People’s Republic.

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“Over 20 of the 31 Abrams tanks delivered to Ukraine are now thought to have been destroyed, disabled or captured,” the magazine estimated. It noted that guided artillery shells and kamikaze drones have proven particularly effective in taking out the US-made armor.

The outlet claimed that Abrams tanks were first seen deployed in Ukraine in late February, and took heavy losses, before eventually being withdrawn from the frontline in April. According to the article, the vehicles’ protection was subsequently upgraded.

The article pointed out that Ukrainian crews have complained to Western media over the US tanks’ performance, including technical issues, such as 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.

Last month, the media outlet also noted that unlike with other Western-supplied tanks, “there have been few indications that the US could make further deliveries of Abrams tanks” to Ukraine.

Also in August, an assortment of captured Western armor, including Abrams tanks, was showcased at the Army-2024 expo held in Patriot Park just outside Moscow.

Throughout the 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.