United to win: First Abrams tanks arrive in Ukraine
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The first batch of American-made Abrams tanks was delivered to Ukraine on Saturday. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the delivery and said new tanks would reinforce the brigades with these tanks.
"I am grateful to the allies for fulfilling the agreements! We are looking for new contracts, expanding the geography of supply," Zelensky said in a statement.
Rubryka reports, citing The New York Times, that the first tanks arrived in Ukraine several months earlier than initial estimates and in time to use them in the counteroffensive.
The publication's sources said that the rest of the Abrams would be sent in the coming months, noting that the tanks delivered to Ukraine were the first of 31 that President Joe Biden's administration promised to send.
How many tanks were delivered on Saturday is currently unknown.
What we know about Abrams tanks for Ukraine
The White House announced its intention to send Abrams tanks to Ukraine in January of this year. After months of insisting that the tanks were too complex and difficult to maintain and repair, the US took this step to induce Germany to supply its Leopard tanks.
As Rubryka reported, on May 15, the US Department of Defense confirmed that 31 Abrams tanks were in Germany to train Ukrainian crews.
The US allocated Abrams tanks for Ukraine as part of the tank coalition. Initially, the Pentagon announced that it would order new tanks for the Ukrainian forces. However, they later decided to send M1A1 Abrams tanks, modified for the Ukrainian military.
Pentagon spokesperson General Pat Ryder said that the transition to sending already refurbished tanks equipped with modern weapons systems will allow them to get to the battlefield faster.
The first batch of Abrams tanks the US provides to Ukraine was approved for shipment in early August. On September 21, the Pentagon said that the Abrams would be delivered to Ukraine in the coming days and weeks.
