Ukrainian military loses majority of US-given Abrams tanks

(MENAFN) The Ukrainian military has lost the majority of the 31 M1 Abrams tanks provided by the US, with 19 either destroyed, severely damaged, or captured by Russian forces, The New York Times reported on Monday, citing unnamed Ukrainian officials.

Initially hailed as a potential "game changer" in the conflict, the US-made tanks have proven highly vulnerable to Russian drone and artillery strikes. As a result, nearly all remaining Abrams tanks have been pulled from the front lines, according to the report.

Washington first delivered the Abrams tanks to Ukraine in September 2023. Shortly after, the Russian Defense Ministry began releasing footage of the tanks burning on the battlefield, with at least one captured and displayed at the Army-2024 expo in Moscow.

Even before their deployment, US officials had expressed doubts about the Abrams' suitability for Ukraine's battlefield conditions. In 2023, Ukraine’s top military intelligence official, Kirill Budanov, acknowledged that the tanks “would not last long” and should be used only in carefully planned operations. By December 2024, former US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan admitted that the Abrams tanks had proven “not useful” for Ukraine.

Military Watch Magazine previously reported that close to 20 of the tanks had been destroyed, with Ukrainian crews citing technical issues, including condensation affecting electronic components and the tanks’ large size making them easy targets. Last summer, the Russian Defense Ministry released multiple videos showing the destruction of US-made tanks, often targeted by Krasnopol-guided artillery shells.

MENAFN06032025000045015687ID1109284370