Joe Biden’s Pentagon has approved the transfer of a small batch of old M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, months after Volodymyr Zelensky requested them to strengthen his counter-offensive against Russian forces.
Reports indicate Biden had originally promised to send 31 of America’s newer M1A2 Abrams tanks to the Ukrainians, albeit stripped of the special uranium-reinforced armor which grants them superior protection, but this initial shipment will now be comprised of older M1A1 models, also stripped of their special armor.
“They are done,” Army Acquisition Chief Doug Bush said of the shipment. “Now they have to get to Europe, and then to Ukraine, along with all of the things that go with them. Ammunition, spare parts, fuel equipment, repair facilities. So you know, it’s not just the tanks, it’s the full package that goes with it. That’s still on track,” he added.
The American tanks are expected to arrive in Ukraine in September, likely too late to make any difference to Zelensky’s stalled counter-offensive. Western Challenger 2 and Leopard 2 heavy tanks supplied by European NATO members have already been in the field for months, with the latter sustaining significant losses.
