AP: Ukraine Withdrawing Abrams Tanks From Front Line

The reason is announced.

Ukrainian troops have withdrawn American Abrams M1A1 tanks from the front line, as it has become difficult to work with them. This was reported by the Associated Press with reference to its sources.

According to journalists, Russian drones, which are widely used by the occupiers, are to blame.

The material says that the US agreed to send 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine in January 2023. But the battlefield has changed significantly since then, in particular due to the use of Russian spy drones and attack UAVs. These weapons have made it harder to defend the tanks, because the drones find them quickly and can chase them for a long time.

According to reporters, five Abrams tanks have already been lost. According to an unnamed senior Ukrainian Defence Ministry official, there is no open terrain that can be simply driven over without fear of detection by UAVs.

The piece said Ukraine and the United States will work to change the tactics of using Abrams tanks.

Admiral Christopher Grady, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that massive armour in the face of the ubiquity of unmanned aircraft systems could be at risk. However, he noted that tanks are still important on the battlefield.

‘We will work with our Ukrainian and other partners on the ground to help them think through how they might use them (tanks, - ed.) in this changed environment,’ he said.