M1A1 Abrams Tank Spotted on the March in Ukraine

The M1A1 Abrams main battle tank supplied by the U.S. to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has been seen for the first time on manoueuvers in Ukraine.

Pro-Russian telegram channels posted the image of an Abrams Tank on Saturday stating that it was taken in the between the settlements of Rezniko and Svyato-Pokrovskoye (in the Seversky operational direction).

Russian miliary experts who analysed the images said that the tank looks equipped with uranium package of special armor (based on the 3rd generation UO100 uranium-ceramics) giving it resistance against armor-piercing sub-caliber shells and APFS of the Svinets-2 type.

However, there appears to be no ARAT-2 ARAT-3 modules which could leave it exposed to the Lancet-9 loitering munition or FPV copter in the upper projection, not to mention the 133M2M-1 Kornet or Vikhr ATGMs.

The tank should be “welcomed” by Russian units equipped with Kornet ATGM, 2A46M-5 tank guns of the T-72B3/M and T-90M tanks, as well as the Invar-M and Arkan ATGWs, they said.

There is no word regarding the deployment of the Abrams tanks in the Ukrainian media.

Previously the non-deployment of the Abrams tank by Ukraine had been criticised in the Western media who stated that the tank would give Kyiv a “decisive advantage” over Russian troops who had dug into their positions.

Ukraine had received the Abrams tank in mid October. Col. Martin O’Donnell, a spokesman for U.S. Army Europe and Africa, had confirmed to VOA news that the Ukrainian soldiers who trained on the tanks with U.S. forces in Germany have also returned to Ukraine, along with ammunition and spare tank parts.

O’Donnell was quoted as saying, “The Abrams tank is one hell of an armored vehicle, but it’s not a silver bullet. Ultimately, it's Ukraine's determination to break through (the Russian lines) that matters most."