Abrams Tanks Arrive in Ukraine; Ready to Fire Depleted Uranium Shells

Ukrainian President Zelensky announced on Monday that his army has received a delivery of U.S. Abrams battle tanks and is preparing to utilize UK-sent shells with depleted uranium against Russian targets.

The Abrams tank is armed with a main gun and three machine guns, including a coaxial one synchronized with the main gun. It employs M829A3 armor-piercing rounds with a depleted uranium core, capable of penetrating armor up to 700mm thick at distances of up to 2,000 meters. This firepower could potentially pose a threat to advanced Russian tanks like the Т-72B3 equipped with Kontakt-5 and Relikt dynamic armor.

Ukraine received a shipment of Abrams tanks to reinforce its brigades, although the exact number and deployment timeline remain undisclosed. The United States had pledged to provide 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine as part of its security assistance package. These tanks are an older model of the M1A1 from Army reserves, chosen for quicker deployment compared to the previously promised M1A2s. While the M1A2 features more advanced armor and electronics, the M1A1 variants currently in service with the U.S. Army have undergone significant modernization.

The Abrams tank boasts multilayer armor with closely guarded secrets, including depleted uranium components. Its power and mobility are ensured by a Honeywell AGT 1500 gas-turbine engine and an Allison X-1100-3B automatic gearbox, providing impressive speeds of 72 km/h on-road and 48 km/h off-road.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine plan to utilize the Abrams tanks in offensive operations against Russian Т-90Мs and Т-72B3s.