Members of Ukraine's 47th Brigade said they used M1A1 Abrams tanks for remote fire support, instead of deploying as shock spearheads on the front lines.
In an interview published on April 4, soldier Oleh, a member of the 4th Independent Mechanized Brigade of Ukraine, said that M47A1 Abrams main tanks and M1 Bradley armored vehicles continue to contribute to the military's combat activities. Brigade west of the city of Avdeevka in the eastern province of Donetsk.
However, deploying them to the front lines to fight directly with Russian forces is no longer the optimal option, because Russia has captured the Avdeevka Chemical and Coke factory. Oleh said the enemy had installed anti-tank weapons at high points in this industrial complex and had a panoramic view of the entire surrounding area.
American M1 Abrams tanks are being transported to Germany to train Ukrainian soldiers in May 5. Image: US National Guard
The above situation causes Ukrainian forces to be more careful in using combat vehicles, including US weapons such as Abrams tanks, and deploying them farther from the front line than before.
This is the first time Ukrainian soldiers have revealed how they use main tank models transferred by the US.
Analyst Marcin Gaweda's Defense 24 said Ukraine gathered Abrams tanks, Bradley armored vehicles and other armored vehicles into "tactical groups", tasked with providing fire support for infantry in defensive or counter-attack campaigns, instead of because it is used as a shock nose as designed.
"Abrams tanks also often operate individually to support infantry during critical times of battle," Gaweda said.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry has not commented on the information.
The US transferred a total of 31 M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine last year, but it was not until the end of February this year that actual combat images of this weapon appeared in Ukraine. However, just a few days later, Kiev lost its first Abrams after being attacked by small suicide drones near Avdeevka.
The Russian Ministry of Defense then continuously announced the destruction of more Abrams tanks, most recently on March 28. Russian media three days later posted a video of Moscow's Lancet unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swinging before crashing onto the roof of Kiev's Abrams tank and exploding, creating a large cloud of smoke, but the specific damage to the vehicle is unknown. vehicle as well as the time the video was recorded.
Sheet Kyiv Post of Ukraine last month also said that the country's military had lost at least five Abrams since the beginning of the conflict.
Lancet UAV attacks Abrams tank in video released on March 31. Video:Telegram/RVvoenkor
The M1 Abrams is considered one of the best tank models in the world, but the US version supplied to Ukraine has been stripped of sensitive technologies such as alloy armor containing depleted uranium, making it more vulnerable. The M1 Abrams also brings many logistical challenges to Ukrainian forces, because this weapon is very gas-hungry and requires complex maintenance procedures.
The M1 Abrams is not the only tank model deployed far from the front lines as a mobile artillery platform in Ukraine. From more than 60-year-old Russian tank models such as the T-55 and T-62 to modern models such as the Challenger 2 that the UK transferred to Ukraine, they are mainly used as fire support weapons, instead of lead the charge to attack the enemy's defense lines.
Some experts say that on modern battlefields, main battle tanks are no longer as useful as they were during the Cold War, although they still have certain uses.
Pham Giang (Follow Defense Express, Defense 24, Kyiv Post)
