Russia hits Abrams tank for first time in Ukraine

U.S. announces shipment of 31 modernized M1A1 tanks to Ukraine in September, aiming to give Kyiv a battlefield advantage

Pro-Kremlin media has claimed that Russia’s military successfully targeted the initial M1 Abrams tank delivered to Ukraine’s armed forces by the U.S., but Newsweek has not confirmed this assertion. 

In line with a commitment made earlier in 2023, the U.S. revealed in September that 31 modernized M1A1 tanks would be sent to Ukraine, with expectations that these 69-ton, four-person vehicles would provide Kyiv with a strategic edge on the battlefield. 

Despite the passage of five months since their arrival, primarily equipping the Ukrainian army’s 47th Mechanized Brigade, Russian media sources have celebrated the destruction of one of the Abrams tanks by their country’s forces.

In mid-February, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Ukraine’s military had lost over 15,100 tanks and armored vehicles since the commencement of the full-scale conflict in February 2022. 

A video shared on the Telegram channel Mash depicted a tank moving through streets ravaged by bombings, with the footage ending before any attack occurred.

Newsweek has reached out to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry via email regarding this unverified video. 

Another video of poor quality showed a burning vehicle, although it remains uncertain whether it is an M1 tank.

Pro-Kremlin media alleged that the imagery showing what seems to be a damaged M1 engulfed in flames served as proof that Russian forces had eliminated the tank in the Avdiivka region of the Donetsk oblast.

Newsweek has yet to authenticate this footage. Russian troops are advancing in the vicinity following the capture of the town on Feb. 17. 

Source: Newsroom