Ukraine's tank strategy shift: Turning to Australia

"Over 20 of the 31 Abrams tanks delivered to Ukraine are now thought to have been destroyed, disabled or captured, with most kills captured on film being achieved by guided artillery or by single use ‘kamikaze’ drones, while one was confirmed to have been achieved by a Russian T-72B3 tank after the two exchanged fire," report journalists from Military Watch Magazine.

Similar data can be found on the Oryx blog, whose creators focus on collecting visual evidence of equipment losses in Ukraine. According to their data, the Ukrainian army has lost 16 American tanks. The capture of American tanks by Russians is considered particularly serious, as these are machines that were not destroyed and can be inspected and studied. The latest instance occurred in October in the Donetsk region.

The numbers confirm the caution expressed by some analysts and military personnel who warned against excessive optimism regarding Abrams' arrival in Ukraine. General Waldemar Skrzypczak highlighted that Abrams tanks are not invincible, and Russians will hunt them down at any cost.

All Abrams tanks transferred by the United States are M1A1 versions. These tanks are almost 33 feet long, equipped with a 120 mm gun and machine guns with calibers of 0.5 inches and 0.3 inches. Although they usually have depleted uranium panels, the versions prepared for Ukraine were fitted with tungsten inserts due to concerns (which proved justified) that the Russians would seize some units and learn sensitive American technologies.

The losses suffered by Ukrainians are to be supplemented with Abrams tanks obtained from Australia. The local government confirmed that it would send Abrams M1A1SA tanks being retired from service to Ukraine.

As many as 59 units were considered, but as noted by the Defence Express portal, a maximum of 49 such machines from Australia will reach the front, as Australia intends to keep 10 units for training roles during the complete transition to the latest M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams. The same source emphasizes that Americans will also have a role to play here, including assistance with maintenance and upgrades, training crews, transferring ammunition, and providing logistical support.

Abrams tanks present significantly greater potential than the tanks Ukraine relied on before the outbreak of the war and most of the tanks in the Russian army. They are more durable and offer higher offensive capabilities.

Ukrainian soldiers emphasize that they appreciate the accuracy, excellent stabilization, and maneuverability despite the large mass. However, they often point out the turret's not-so-high degree of protection, which they try to address by introducing modifications (mainly reactive armor blocks).

A partial explanation for the significant losses related to Abrams tanks may be that Ukrainians also use them on the most challenging front sections. They participated, for instance, in heavy clashes near Avdiivka. In October, footage emerged confirming that Abrams tanks were deployed to support the Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region in Russia.