The crews of the Ukrainian tanks have now received vital support. Equipped with the first Abrams tanks and modern defense missiles, they are now facing off against Russian tanks, as reported by the German news website Münchner Merkur.
In mid-September, ten M1 Abrams tanks were reportedly moved from their previous location in Germany to Ukraine to strengthen the offensive against the Russian occupiers. These tanks form the first group of a total of 31 promised combat tanks of American origin. According to Forbes magazine, it is certain that they will give the Ukrainian counteroffensive an additional boost and cause significant losses in the ranks of Putin’s army. “Considering Ukraine’s previous experiences with Western tanks, far fewer crews will die in battles with M1 tanks than with Soviet tanks, which still make up the majority of the Ukrainian tank force and also the entire Russian tank force,” Forbes reports.
Since the end of the 20th century, the modern individual tank has evolved into an increasingly effective weapon, emphasizes Ralf Raths, director of the German Tank Museum in Munster. This applies to both the Abrams and the German Leopard, as well as to models from England and France. Raths explains to the Tagesschau: “They can shoot and hit while moving at full speed – and that over several kilometers, even in reverse.” These capabilities make them key players on the battlefield, although they alone do not guarantee victory. Nevertheless, the advanced development of tanks in Western countries has significantly outpaced tank production in Russia.
Image: Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0, Vladimir Putin and Sergey Shoigu – Saint-Petersburg 2017-07-30 (1).jpg, via Wikimedia Commons (no changes made)
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