Watch: M1 Abrams Lays Down the Hurt on a Russian Position
The U.S. is hoping that its latest supply of armaments will shift the momentum of the war in Ukraine.
A video taken by CNN shows a U.S. M1A1 Abrams tank being used by Ukrainian forces to lay down fire on a Russian position.
The tanks, which the U.S. committed as part of its ongoing stream of aid to Ukraine, were meant to provide the Ukrainians with the equipment needed to push the Russians out of the war-torn country.
Crews were trained in Germany on how to operate the U.S. tanks, with the goal of using them to push through the Russian frontlines in Eastern Ukraine.
So far, however, it’s unclear whether that’s the case.
CNN journalists spoke to members of one of the German-trained crews manning Abrams tanks about the efficacy of recently supplied U.S. M1A1 Abrams tanks. The feedback was not positive.
The crews said the tanks are unable to defend against modern weapons.
“Its armor is not sufficient for this era,” said one crew member, whose callsign is “Joker,” in translated subtitles. “It doesn’t protect the crew. For real, today this is a war of drones. So now, when the tank rolls out, they always try to hit it.”
Another crew member said that the U.S. tanks are the Russians’ “number one target.”
“Without [air] defense, the crew doesn’t survive,” the crew member added.
CNN reported that the Abrams tanks were pulled off the frontline in April due to the threat of self-destructing Russian attack drones. These small and powerful weapons are flown by soldiers wearing special gaming goggles, and can do heavy damage against infantry and tanks.
The damage so far has been significant. According to the Dutch-run intelligence site Oryx, 8 of the 31 M1A1 Abrams tanks supplied by the U.S. have been destroyed, damaged or abandoned, with the remaining 23 all operating in Eastern Ukraine.
The crew has even had to affix additional armor on the tanks just to give them a fighting chance, CNN reported. One vehicle, just shipped in from Poland, is already unusable due to an engine problem.
Ammunition has also been a problem for the crew. They noted that the ammo supplied is more conducive for tank-to-tank combat, rather than attacking the drones.
Joker said they had a case where the crew fired 17 rounds into a house, yet were unable to take the building down.
Without air support, the tanks have been essentially ineffective, according to the crew, who also posited that NATO forces would think twice about sending in their own forces against such odds.
“They would never do it,” Joker said. “We have no aviation and artillery.”
Putting aside whether or not Congress should have passed the aid package that sent an additional $61 billion to Ukraine, it’s disheartening to find out that the U.S. hasn’t provided equipment that will even be useful.
After nearly a year of refusal, President Joe Biden eventually agreed to provide Ukraine with the Abrams in January 2023, CNN reported. The tanks were to provide a needed boost to the war effort, as the Abrams was supposed to be “far superior in lethality and survivability and mobility” than anything the Russians had deployed in Ukraine, according to retired U.S. Army Gen. Robert Abrams, whose father the thanks are named after.
Yet, over a year later, the tanks have been more of a hindrance than anything.
CNN reported that the Russians have mocked the introduction of the Abrams tanks to the battlefield, calling them “empty tin cans.”
U.S. officials did clarify to CNN that the military was not going to produce new tanks from scratch for the Ukrainians, but rather planned to modify their existing inventory to get the tanks to the battlefield as fast as possible.
The decision, however, seems to have backfired. Not only are the tanks malfunctioning, but their capabilities are insufficient to deal with Russian forces when they actually get to the battlefield.
If the U.S. is going to continue to send Ukraine military aid, it should at least provide equipment that the Ukrainians can use. Otherwise, it seems like Congress is burning taxpayer dollars just so that they can say they helped out.
Outdated tanks are not going to shift the tide in Ukraine’s favor. If anything, providing insufficient armaments is going to prolong the war in Ukraine, given that the Ukrainians don’t have the capabilities to break through Russian lines.
Without a change in U.S. strategy when it comes to the type of aid provided, Ukranian progress will remain halted.
But it’s not just that the Ukrainians are prevented from making progress. Providing insufficient equipment is a matter of life and death.
“I only have one question,” Joker said of U.S. military aid. “Why is this taking so long and [equipment supplied] partially?” he said.
“We are losing time. It’s death to us.”
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