Reports from the Ukrainian news outlet “Strana.ua” indicate that the Ukrainian military has been deploying American Abrams tanks towards Avdiivka for over 30 days, following a prior withdrawal.
On the front, the Forty-seventh Brigade exhibited US-donated Abrams tanks. According to a message sent on the publication’s Telegram channel, they have been using them for more than a month in the Avdiivka direction.
“Strana” published a 33-second video of an American Abrams tank driving through a destroyed village and firing its cannon. Thermal imaging imagery is included in the film as proof of target engagement. However, it is impossible to establish whether the targets displayed are Abrams.
Forbes magazine said in January that they hadn’t been seen anywhere since Abrams tanks arrived in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Armed Forces turned Avdiivka, a northern suburb of Donetsk, into a strongly defended area. Since 2014, the Ukrainian military has shelled Donetsk’s residential neighbourhoods from their territory. On the night of February 17th, Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, ordered the departure from Avdiivka. Later, the Russian Ministry of Defence said that the order was issued 24 hours after Ukrainian soldiers began their disorderly retreat from the city. Currently, Avdiivka is totally under Russian control.
The Abrams is regarded as one of the most powerful tanks in the world, and its presence is viewed as a significant advantage for Ukrainian forces. It is projected to provide substantial benefits in firepower and protection over many Russian tanks. However, Russian tanks have enhanced their protection through armour, active defence, and tactics.
It will be easier for Ukraine to hold its positions with fewer deaths thanks to the tanks. In addition, they will prove extremely useful if Moscow launches a big operation from Belarus or another location this year, which is something that Ukraine’s intelligence services anticipate.
According to the United States military, all 31 M1A1 Abrams tanks promised to be delivered to Kyiv by President Joe Biden’s administration have arrived in Ukraine. All Ukrainians who had trained on the tanks with US forces in Germany have also returned to Ukraine, along with ammunition and spare tank parts.
