Ukrainian military begins to withdraw Abrams tanks from the front line
Ukraine is currently withdrawing Abrams M1A1 tanks provided by the United States from the front line. Part of the reason is that Russian unmanned aerial vehicles make their work more difficult.
According to the publication, the Ukrainian military received 31 Abrams tanks from the United States in January 2013.
They were used to break through Russian defense lines. But since then, the battlefield has changed significantly, in part due to the occupiers’ widespread use of reconnaissance and attack drones. This has made it difficult for Ukraine to defend its tanks, the agency writes, citing two military sources.
According to the AP, five of the 31 tanks have already been lost.
The proliferation of drones on the battlefield means that “there is no open area where you can just drive through without fear of being spotted,” explained a senior defense official.
The tanks have now been moved from the front line. The United States will work with the Ukrainians to change tactics, said Admiral Christopher Grady, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as a third U.S. military official who confirmed the move on condition of anonymity.
If you think about how warfare is evolving, massive armor in an environment with ubiquitous unmanned aerial systems could be at risk,” Grady said, adding that tanks are still important.
What is known about the vulnerability of Abrams tanks
According to the New York Times, they have vulnerabilities where their heavy plate armor is thinnest, including on the roof of the tower, in the rear of the engine block, and in the space between the hull and the tower.
Over the years, they have been targeted mainly by mines, improvised explosive devices, grenade launchers, and shoulder-fired anti-tank guided missiles.
They were widely used at the beginning of the war in Ukraine, as they could hit tanks from above and hit them 90% of the time.
However, the drones currently being used against tanks in Ukraine are even more precise and can be targeted at tanks in their most vulnerable locations. In several cases, FPV drones were also used to “finish off” tanks that had already been damaged by mines or anti-tank missiles to the point where they could not be removed from the battlefield and repaired.
In September 2023, the head of the Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyrylo Budanov, said that the Armed Forces would use American Abrams tanks for well-prepared breakthrough operations.
