Ukrainian teams operating US-supplied Abrams tanks told CNN who found a number of weaknesses and flaws in armored vehicles, casting doubt on their usefulness on the ever-changing front lines of war. The donation was announced by President Joe Biden as evidence of “the United States’ enduring and unfailing commitment to Ukraine.”
Journalists from CNN were the first reporters to see the M1 Abrams in Ukraine, at a location in the east of the country, where around six vehicles were seen hiding in the foliage.
The German-trained teams said the vehicles — the U.S. military's $10 million main battle tank used in Iraq against Saddam Hussein's forces and insurgents — lacked armor capable of stopping modern weapons.
“The armor is not enough for this moment,” said a member of the troop, codenamed Joker. “It doesn’t protect the crew. In fact, today this is the drone war. So now, when the tank comes out, they always try to hit them.”
His counterpart, Dnipro, added that they are the “number one target”. “Without defense, the crew cannot survive on the battlefield,” he said.
The team showed the CNN their attempts to attach active armor to a damaged tank. They used plastic explosive plates that, when struck by a projectile, detonate and provide a protective backfire.
All 31 Abrams deployed to Ukraine are in battle near the front line in the east, according to officials from the 47th Mechanized Brigade, who received them all. The Ukrainian order for Abrams, complex and heavy tanks, generated significant debate in early 2023, as the American vehicle has a complex supply chain. Some versions even run on jet fuel.
Pentagon officials said in April that the Abrams were pulled from the front lines due to the threat from Russian attack drones, although the 47th said some were still in action despite the deficiencies that had materialized.
Much of the Ukrainian front line is now dominated by the use of self-destructing attack drones, small, precise devices that can attack infantry and even cause significant damage to tanks. The advent of these First Person View (FPV) drones, piloted by soldiers wearing gaming goggles, has changed the nature of warfare, limiting movement and introducing a new element of vulnerability to armored vehicles.
This Ukrainian team learned the Abrams' limitations the hard way, in intense battles around the town of Avdiivka, which Russia finally took control of in February. A driver of one of the tanks lost a leg when the armor was penetrated. However, it's not just innovation that's hurting the tanks – they seem to have technical problems too.
One, parked under a tree, was almost motionless during the company's visit. CNN , due to an engine problem, crew members say, despite the vehicle having just been shipped from Poland. They also complain about how, in rain or fog, condensation can fry the electronics inside the vehicle.
A CNN has reached out to the Pentagon for comment.
Ammunition is also a problem, as elsewhere on the Ukrainian front line. They say they seem to have the wrong type for the fight they are in.
“What we have is more of straight tank-on-tank fights, which happens very rarely,” Joker said. “Much more often we work as artillery. You need to dismantle a tree line or a building. We had a case where we fired 17 shots into a house and it was still standing.”
The tank's poor performance was ridiculed by Russian analysts, dubbing them “empty cans”. One model was captured by Russian forces and, damaged, was presented in a parade on Red Square.
The Ukrainian team expressed frustration that the tanks were made for a NATO style of warfare, in which air power and artillery prepare the battlefield before tanks and infantry advance. Kiev has long lamented its lack of artillery and air power.
“They would never do that,” Joker said, about NATO soldiers making the same advances they do, but without air support. He switched to English to imitate a NATO soldier: “'Call the aviation, call the artillery,'” he said. “We don’t have aviation and artillery. We only have the tank. And that’s the problem.”
A spokesman for the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense told CNN that “Ukraine is now testing and improving equipment that was not initially prepared for our war. We are asking all countries to support us with equipment of any level of technical capability. We use them all accordingly,” the spokesperson added.
Biden's decision to supply the Abrams came after European allies committed to sending their own battle tanks in early 2023, ahead of Ukraine's failed summer counteroffensive last year, a step that had been considered unthinkable months earlier.
Kiev's allies slowly swallowed the red lines over what equipment they had previously refused to supply. F-16s could arrive in Ukraine in the coming months. Oleksandr Syrsky, Ukraine's military commander, said on Monday that he had signed initial documentation to allow France to send military trainers to the country to try to reverse an urgent frontline military problem.
The French Defense Ministry declined to confirm the plan, but said it and other ideas had been discussed for a long time. The move would mark a significant escalation in the West's involvement in the war, now in its third year.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry later appeared to temper those expectations, saying in a statement to CNN that it had “started internal documentation to move forward when the decision is made”.
For the Abrams team, every delay in equipment or assistance costs their friends their lives. “I just have one question,” Joker said of the U.S. assistance. “Why is this taking so long and (coming) partially? We are wasting time. It is death for us.”
*With information from Victoria Butenko, from CNN.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
