Ukraine has lost two thirds of US-supplied tanks – media

Ukraine has lost two thirds of its US-supplied Abrams M1 main battle tanks in the space of only half a year, Military Watch Magazine has reported.

The outlet said in an article on Thursday that, according to its estimates, “close to 20” out of 31 tanks provided to Kiev by Washington have already been destroyed by Russian forces.

The latest Abrams was blown up in Russia’s Kursk Region, Military Watch Magazine said, based on videos uploaded by Russian Telegram channels. It appears to be the first American tank lost by Ukraine during its ongoing incursion into internationally recognized Russian territory, it added.

The M1 in question had “a significantly improved” explosive reactive armor, as Ukraine took steps to increase the protection of the US-made tanks, “particularly after they took heavy losses in their first engagements with Russian forces in February-April 2024,” the report read. However, the Abrams still could not withstand a projectile from a handheld anti-tank missile system, likely a Kornet, with which it had reportedly been hit, it stressed.

Military Watch reminded subscribers that Ukrainian troops operating the M1s had previously complained to Western media about “technical issues, including vulnerability of electronic components to condensation, as well as their vulnerability to Russian fire.” 

The outlet described the Abrams, the German Leopard 2, the British Challenger 2 and the Soviet era T-80 tanks as “the scarcest tank classes in Ukrainian service.”

But it also pointed out that, while Kiev expects a replacement for its destroyed Leopards from the EU nations, “there have been few indications that the US could make further deliveries of Abrams tanks.”

Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Saturday that, since the start of its incursion into Kursk Region on August 6, Ukraine has already lost more than 5,550 troops and hundreds of units of military equipment, including 71 tanks.

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