Two of the Ukrainian Army’s final remaining M1A1 Abrams primary battle tanks have been captured by the Russian Army close to the frontlines within the Sumy area, with footage confirming that the autos have been deserted comparatively intact. Personnel working beneath the twenty second Motor Rifle Regiment captured the autos, after reconnaissance groups secured the realm in opposition to drones and explosives, with a restore unit subsequently assigned to move the autos to rear positions. Two MaxxPro armoured autos, one Stryker infantry combating automobile, and a Challenger armoured restoration automobile, have been additionally captured as a part of the identical operation. These successes have been gained because the Russian Army has made appreciable advances into Sumy, capturing a number of settlements, with orders from the Kremlin having been issued to ascertain a buffer zone within the space. The seize of two intact Abrams tanks has fuelled appreciable hypothesis concerning why they might have been deserted, with a chance remaining that the autos broke down or ran out of gasoline.
The Abrams is certainly one of two tank lessons alongside the Russian T-80 that makes use of a gas-turbine engine, which offers excessive ranges of mobility, but in addition imposes appreciable upkeep necessities and excessive gasoline consumption ranges on its operators. Because the heaviest operational tank class on the planet, the Abrams weighs roughly 50 p.c greater than the T-80, with its gasoline consumption charges accordingly being considerably greater than different lessons. This has lengthy been highlighted as a number one potential shortcoming which might hinder the tank’s utility within the occasion of a protracted battle in opposition to a near-peer adversary. Ukrainian personnel have highlighted dissatisfaction with the Abrams’ efficiency on a number of events, citing each technical points akin to vulnerability of digital elements to condensation, in addition to their vulnerability to Russian hearth. Critical shortages of excessive explosive rounds for the tank’s 120mm gun have additionally been a serious problem affecting the Abrams and different Western-supplied primary battle tanks within the theatre, which aren’t appropriate with the 125mm tank rounds broadly utilized by the Ukrainian Army.
Regardless of solely 31 Abrams tanks having been delivered to Ukraine, Russian Army items have captured the autos on a number of events up to now. In early September 2024 an Abrams tank was filmed being captured and towed away by Russian forces close to the city of Avdiivka alongside a Leopard 2A6 tank, whereas the next month an Abrams tank operated by the forty seventh Mechanised Brigade was captured close to town of Pokrovsk. As early as February that yr, footage of the primary fight operations by a Ukrainian Army Abrams tank in opposition to Russian forces confirmed an apparently deserted tank shifting on roads in a panorama surrounded by shell holes and damaged timber, though it stays unsure whether or not the automobile might have subsequently been captured. At the moment beneath 10 Abrams tanks are estimated to stay in service within the Ukrainian Army, with many of the kills filmed in opposition to the autos having been achieved by guided artillery or by single use ‘kamikaze’ drones, though one of many tanks was confirmed to have been destroyed by a Russian T-72B3 tank after the 2 exchanged hearth close to Avdiivka. The Abrams’ sheer dimension has reportedly led the fleet to draw significantly excessive portions of fireplace, with their profiles being far bigger than these of Ukraine’s Soviet-built tanks such because the T-80s and T-64, or than tanks operated by the Russian Army.
Abrams tanks have been first seen deployed to have interaction Russian forces on February 23, with the primary loss confirmed three days afterwards, adopted by a interval of intensive losses lasting over a month. The autos have been briefly withdrawn from the frontlines in April, and had their armour safety ranges improved domestically, though they’d proceed to endure fast attrition in subsequent engagements. American and Ukrainian sources have persistently mirrored poorly on the Abrams’ efficiency within the Ukrainian theatre. In December 2024 U.S. Nationwide Safety Adviser Jake Sullivan concluded that the autos have been “not helpful” for Ukraine’s battle effort. When requested whether or not the Biden administration might have higher ready Ukraine for offensives in opposition to Russian forces, he cited the Abrams for instance of what number of sorts of American weapons didn’t have the specified influence within the theatre. “In relation to Abrams tanks, we despatched Abrams tanks to Ukraine… These Abrams tank items are literally undermanned as a result of it’s not essentially the most helpful piece of apparatus for them on this combat,” he acknowledged.
Talking concerning the Abrams’ limitations, U.S. Undersecretary for Defence for Coverage Colin Kahl equally noticed: “The problem with the Abrams is, it’s costly. It’s tough to coach on. It is extremely tough to maintain. It has an enormous, sophisticated turbine engine that requires jet gasoline… Frankly, our evaluation is simply that the Abrams will not be the fitting functionality at the moment.” This mirrored comparable criticisms concerning different Western tank lessons equipped to Ukraine. Following mounting revelations concerning Ukrainian items’ dissatisfaction with the autos, an unnamed Australian defence official talking to the Australian Broadcasting Company famous concerning the potential for Australia deliveringnew Abrams tanks to the nation: “We’re beginning to doubt if the Ukrainians truly need these autos — the tank roof is the weakest level of the Abrams and this can be a drone battle.” Regardless of critical questions having been raised concerning the effectiveness of Western tanks within the Ukrainian theatre, NATO members’ provides of Soviet tanks have turn out to be more and more scarce, with the T-64 that fashioned the spine of the Ukrainian fleet being extremely scarce outdoors the nation, whereas shares of the broadly operated T-72 have largely been exhausted outdoors Poland. With Ukraine’s personal tank manufacturing capability having been severely diminished after the USSR’s disintegration, and subsequently successfully disappeared, provides of Western autos stays successfully the one technique of replenishing armour losses.
