Australia’s Abrams Tanks Make Their Battlefield Debut Near Pokrovsk
Australian-supplied M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks have entered combat in eastern Ukraine.
The Gaze reports this, citing Militarnyi, which published a video released by Ukraine’s 425th Separate Assault Regiment “Skelia”.
According to the regiment, the Australian Abrams have been fitted with additional passive armor and reactive protection, including Kontakt-1 explosive reactive armor blocks mounted on the turret, upper frontal section, and side hull.
Crews have also installed improvised anti-drone measures, including overhead netting made from fishing nets, designed to disrupt or detonate incoming FPV drones before impact.
Footage from inside the tanks shows another notable modification: a Ukrainian-language control interface. Military officials say the localized system reduces training time and operational errors, as many Ukrainian tank crews do not speak English.
The regiment said the Abrams were used to support combat operations in Pokrovsk, the Donetsk region, including covering the withdrawal of assault units under fire. Pokrovsk remains a key logistical and defensive hub in eastern Ukraine amid sustained Russian pressure.
Australia recently completed the delivery of all 49 M1A1 Abrams pledged to Ukraine as part of a $245 million military assistance package. The tanks, operated by the Australian Army between 2007 and 2024, were shipped to Europe beginning in October aboard a commercial cargo vessel, accompanied by Australian military personnel. The final batch of 12 tanks arrived in Ukraine earlier this month, following the delivery of the first 37 in July.
Canberra had earlier ordered additional M19 protection kits during an upgrade program to the Abrams SA standard, though it remains unclear whether those kits were included in the transfer to Ukraine.
As The Gaze previously reported, the Australian government has decided to provide Ukraine with military aid worth 95 million Australian dollars ($63 million), of which 50 million Australian dollars will go to PURL, A$2 million for the ‘drone coalition’ and another A$43 million for military equipment, including tactical air defence radars, ammunition and engineering equipment.
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