Ukraine withdrew Abrams from the front line due to concerns about Russian UAVs
AP news agency (USA) quoted two US military officials as saying that Ukraine has now withdrawn the Abrams M1A1 battle tanks provided by the US on the front lines. This move is partly due to Russian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks making it difficult for tanks to operate without detection.
The US agreed to send 31 Abrams to Ukraine in January 2023 after Kiev’s active aid mobilization lasted for months, arguing that these tanks, worth about $10 million each, were very important. in breaking through the Russian lines.
US Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth reviews the latest version of the M1A2 Abrams main battle tank. Photo: AP
Russian tactics
However, the front is said to have changed significantly since then, especially with Russia’s widespread use of surveillance drones and killer drones. These weapons make it more difficult for Ukraine to protect US tanks when they are quickly detected and hunted by Russian UAVs or artillery shells.
5 out of 31 Abrams tanks were destroyed by Russian attacks.
A senior defense official told reporters on April 25 that the dense arrangement of drones on the battlefield means “there is no open field where vehicles can pass without danger.” has been discovered”.
Present, tanks have been moved away from the front lines and the US will work with Ukraine to reset tactics. Vice Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Christopher Grady and another defense official confirmed this plan.
“We will work with Ukraine and other partners on the ground to think of ways to use armored vehicles,” Grady told the AP in an interview this week. [trong môi trường nhiều máy bay không người lái].”
News of the removal of the Abrams tank comes as the US marks the second anniversary of the formation of the Ukraine Defense Liaison Group – a coalition of about 50 countries that meets monthly to assess Ukraine’s front-line needs or organizes aid coordination to support Kiev’s defense in conflict with Moscow.
The US approves military aid to Ukraine
US officials said the country is completing the final stages of preparing one of the largest arms procurement packages for Ukraine worth $6 billion.
On April 24, the United States confirmed for the first time that it had provided ATACMS long-range ballistic missiles to Ukraine, allowing Kiev to attack deep into areas where Russia is stationed without having to attack and be detected by UAVs. or Russia’s fortified defense system.
Abrams tank
Ukraine has not yet effectively used Abrams
A US defense official told the AP that although Russian UAVs are a significant threat, Ukraine has not yet applied good tactics to help tanks operate more effectively.
After announcing that it would provide Ukraine with Abrams tanks in January 2023, the US began training Ukraine at Grafenwoehr Military Base in Germany on how to maintain and operate this weapon. In September 2023, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Abrams had arrived in Ukraine. However, since then, Kiev has only used this super tank in a limited way.
A defense official said that during the recent withdrawal of troops from the Avdiivka area – the focus of intense fighting for months, a number of tanks were lost due to Russian attacks. At Avdiivka, Ukrainian forces were depleted in firepower and had to fight off glide bombs and Russian killer drones with whatever ammunition they had.
