American Abrams Tanks to Arrive in Ukraine in September

The United States is planning to initiate the supply of Abrams tanks to Ukraine in September, as reported by Politico, citing its own sources. The first batch of tanks will consist of 6 to 8 units, with a total of 31 tanks planned for shipment by the United States.

In August of this year, the U.S. plans to send several Abrams tanks to Germany, where they will undergo final modifications. After completing this process, the first batch of American tanks will be dispatched to Ukraine.

Before the Ukrainian armed forces begin operating the American Abrams tanks, their personnel must complete a 10-week training course currently underway in Germany. According to a Pentagon official, the Ukrainian military intends to complete this training by August.

Additionally, the U.S. is collaborating with European allies to establish repair facilities for the restoration of damaged tanks and other equipment after their involvement in combat actions against Russian occupiers.

Instead of the previously promised Abrams M1A2 tanks, the Ukrainian Armed Forces will receive M1A1 tanks, but ahead of the initially scheduled timeframe.

Initially, it was planned to use funds from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative to purchase new equipment directly from the manufacturer for the transfer of American tanks to Ukraine. However, it was later decided to withdraw the equipment from the U.S. Army's stocks. Before shipment, the tanks will be refurbished and upgraded.

At the end of May, the first group of Ukrainian servicemen began training on American M1 Abrams tanks in Germany. The training program not only includes preparing crews for tank operation but also instructing personnel in the technical maintenance of these combat machines.

Kyiv strongly insisted on the timely arrival of the Abrams tanks. In a June interview with a Ukrainian media outlet, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba expressed hope that the tanks would arrive in time to participate in the current counteroffensive. However, he cautioned against viewing this counteroffensive as the last and decisive one, stating that there will be as many counteroffensives as needed to drive Russia out of Ukrainian territory.

The robust armor and powerful armament of the Abrams can aid the Ukrainian forces in breaking through to the south and east, where weak spots in enemy positions are sought. This week, Kyiv made a new push to reclaim territory by sending reinforcements and launching attacks to the south of the Ukrainian-controlled city of Orikhiv in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

If Ukraine can make progress in this direction, it may create a path for Kyiv's forces to advance towards the city of Melitopol near the Azov Sea. The essence of the east and southward movement is to divide Russian forces, cutting off the overland link between Russia and the occupied Crimea.