Military Watch estimates that 20 of the 31 units supplied to Kiev have been destroyed, badly damaged or captured
Military Watch Magazine has reported that Ukraine is losing US-supplied Abrams M1 main battle tanks at an accelerating rate. According to their estimates, Kiev has lost over two-thirds of its Abrams tanks in the last six months.
US President Joe Biden announced the decision to send 31 of the tanks to Ukraine in January 2023. However, the first batch only arrived in September of last year.
In an article published on Sunday, Military Watch, citing footage released by the Russian military, stated that the “rate at which Ukrainian forces have been losing Abrams tanks has increased significantly.”
The outlet noted that in recent weeks, videos have surfaced allegedly showing the destruction of three US-made tanks and the capture of another in the Donetsk People’s Republic.
“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 destroying the US-made armor.
The outlet claimed that Abrams tanks were first deployed in Ukraine in late February, and suffered heavy losses, before being withdrawn from the frontline in April.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 expressed concerns to Western media about the US tanks’ performance, including technical issues, such as the 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.