Russian soldiers pull Ukrainian M1 Abrams tanks to the rear

Russian forces sent a tow vehicle to bring the Ukrainian M1 Abrams tank back to the rear, expected to be transferred to Moscow for display.

Reporter Vladimir Soloviev and Telegram channel BTR80 released a video on April 28 showing two Russian military recovery vehicles transporting a Ukrainian M1 Abrams main battle tank to the rear, but did not disclose the specific location.

The video shows the M1 Abrams in relatively heavy damage with many scorch marks on the hull. Almost all the equipment mounted on the turret and in the vehicle compartment was burned by the fire.

According to Soloviev, the tank that the Central Wing (Tsentr) brought back from the front line was expected to be transported to Moscow for display at the Poklonnaya Hill exhibition, where Russia has placed captured Western combat vehicles and weapons that it provided to Ukraine.

Russian soldiers pull Ukrainian M1 Abrams tanks to the rear — Russian servicemen transport Ukrainian M1 Abrams tanks to the rear in a video released on April 28. Video: *Telegram/Soloviev, BTR80*

The United States delivered 31 M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine last year after months of requests from the country. Ukrainian officials at the time said the tanks, which cost $10 million each, would be an important weapon for their army to break through Russian defenses.

However, Russian forces have recently increased their use of reconnaissance and suicide drones, destroying many enemy tanks and armored vehicles. U.S. officials say Ukraine no longer deploys M1 Abrams on the front lines, in part due to the threat of Russian suicide drones.

Ukraine has lost at least five M1 Abrams tanks since the beginning of the year, although they have been deployed in limited numbers and have not been involved in coordinated attacks directly on Russian positions. Ukrainian soldiers said in early April that the M1 Abrams tanks are now only responsible for providing long-range fire support, rather than being part of the frontline.

The M1 Abrams was developed by the US in 1972-1975 and is in service today. The M1 tank is equipped with a 120 mm gun, a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun and a 12.7 mm gun. The vehicle can reach a maximum speed of 67 km/h, with a crew of 4, including commander, gunner, loader and driver.

Nguyen Tien (According to RIA Novosti, AFP, Reuters )

Source link