Members of the 47th Ukrainian Brigade said they used M1A1 Abrams tanks to provide fire support from a distance, instead of deploying them as frontline spearheads.
In an interview published on April 4, soldier Oleh, a member of the 47th Independent Mechanized Brigade of Ukraine, said that M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks and M2 Bradley armored vehicles continue to contribute to the brigade's combat operations west of the city of Avdeevka in the eastern Donetsk region.
However, deploying them to the front line to engage Russian forces head-on is no longer an optimal option, as Russia has captured the Avdeevka Chemical and Coke Plant. Oleh said the enemy has installed anti-tank weapons on high points in this industrial complex and has a panoramic view of the entire surrounding area.
US M1 Abrams tanks are being transported to Germany to train Ukrainian soldiers in May 2023. Photo: US National Guard
The situation has forced Ukrainian forces to be more cautious in using combat vehicles, including US equipment such as Abrams tanks, and deploy them farther from the front line than before.
This is the first time Ukrainian soldiers have revealed how they use the main battle tank model transferred by the US.
Defense 24 analyst Marcin Gaweda said Ukraine groups Abrams tanks, Bradleys and other armored vehicles into "tactical groups" that provide fire support for infantry in defensive or counterattack operations, rather than being used as spearheads as designed.
"Abrams tanks also often operate alone to support infantry at critical moments in battle," Gaweda said.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has not commented on the information.
The US delivered a total of 31 M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine last year, but it was not until late February this year that the first images of the equipment in combat in Ukraine appeared. However, just a few days later, Kiev lost its first Abrams after it was attacked by a small suicide drone near Avdeevka.
The Russian Ministry of Defense then continuously announced the destruction of more Abrams tanks, most recently on March 28. Three days later, Russian media posted a video of Moscow's Lancet drone swerving before crashing onto the roof of Kiev's Abrams tank and exploding, creating a large cloud of smoke, but the specific damage to the vehicle and the time the video was filmed are unknown.
Ukraine's Kyiv Post also reported last month that the country's military has lost at least five Abrams since the start of the conflict.
Lancet UAV attacks Abrams tank in video released on March 31. Video: Telegram/RVvoenkor
The M1 Abrams is considered one of the best tanks in the world, but the version the US supplied to Ukraine had sensitive technologies such as depleted uranium alloy armor stripped out, making it more vulnerable. The M1 Abrams also posed logistical challenges for Ukrainian forces, as the vehicle was very fuel-hungry and required complex maintenance.
The M1 Abrams is not the only tank deployed far from the front lines as a mobile artillery platform in Ukraine. From 60-year-old Russian tanks such as the T-55 and T-62 to modern models such as the Challenger 2 that the UK transferred to Ukraine, all are mainly used as fire support equipment, rather than leading the charge to attack enemy defenses.
Some experts say that on the modern battlefield, main battle tanks are no longer as useful as they were during the Cold War, although they still have certain uses.
Pham Giang (According to Defense Express, Defense 24, Kyiv Post )
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