First US Abrams tanks arrive in Ukraine – NYT
As of Monday, September 25, the first batch of American-made Abrams tanks was delivered to Ukraine
This was reported by The New York Times with reference to two US defense officials.
It is noted that the first Abrams tanks arrived several months earlier than planned.
The U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said more Abrams tanks would be shipped in the coming months. They noted that the ones sent to Ukraine on Saturday were the first of 31 that the Biden administration had promised to send.
However, officials did not say how many tanks have been delivered so far.
What we know about Abrams for Ukraine
In May, the United States began training Ukrainians on Abrams tanks in Germany. For this purpose, M1 Abrams tanks arrived from the United States, intended solely for training and not for deployment to Ukraine.
At the same time, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced that the United States would provide Ukraine with Abrams tanks in early fall 2023. “The Abrams tanks intended for Ukraine (31 tanks) have been undergoing repairs and preparation for several months. This weekend, the tanks were officially approved for transfer.
On August 7, the first batch of Abrams tanks provided by the United States to Ukraine was approved for shipment. At the time, it was stated that the tanks were to arrive in Ukraine in early fall.
Later, on September 19, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that Ukraine would soon receive American Abrams tanks.
