Ukrainian intelligence officials do not want US tanks in the war

Kirill Budanov, head of the Main Directorate of Military Intelligence of Ukraine (GUR), said that the M1 Abrams tanks provided by the US to Kiev should only be deployed in specific breakthrough operations, otherwise they will be quickly destroyed by Russian forces.

Ukraine is “expecting” to receive 31 M1 Abrams main battle tanks that Washington promised to deliver earlier this year, Budanov said in an interview with War Zone on September 22.

During a meeting at the White House on September 21, US President Joe Biden told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky that the first M1 Abrams tanks would arrive in Ukraine “next week.”

The US will begin delivering M1 Abrams to Ukraine in late September. (Photo: AFP)

However, the head of Ukraine's intelligence agency warned that if American armored vehicles were deployed to the front line like all other Western tanks, they would hardly be able to survive Russian fire.

According to Mr. Budanov, to truly unleash the power of the M1 Abrams Kiev, they should only be used in “very specific and well-prepared” breakthrough operations.

The widespread use of artillery and mines by both Russian and Ukrainian forces has “reduced the combat capabilities of armored forces on all fronts to a minimum,” Budanov explained.

“If we deploy several battalions of M1 Abrams tanks into the battlefield, they will be attacked as soon as they come within range of enemy artillery,” Budanov said.

According to the head of the Ukrainian intelligence service, this is why “at present, all major combat operations are carried out by infantry without using any mechanized means.”

Budanov also spoke about the ATACMS long-range ballistic missile, which was not included in the latest military aid package announced by President Biden, despite Kiev having asked Washington for this weapon for months.

The GUR director said Ukrainian forces need missiles to target Russian airports, command posts and ammunition depots, including in Crimea.

Mr. Budanov said he did not know whether Kiev would eventually receive ATACMS without an official announcement from Washington.

“There are still many different ways to resolve this situation,” Mr. Budanov stressed.

NBC News reported Friday that the United States would provide Ukraine with a “small number” of ATACMS missiles. But the head of the intelligence agency asserted that “if it were 100 missiles, it would not change the situation” for Kiev.

Russia has repeatedly warned that the West's transfer of weapons to Ukraine will only prolong the war and not prevent Moscow from achieving the goals of its military operation.

Speaking about Washington's support for Kiev amid the conflict last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the US was "sending weapons, ammunition, intelligence and satellite data to Ukraine" and "waging war against us".

Tra Khanh (Source: russian.rt.com)

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