American Abrams tanks make first appearance in the Ukraine war

American Abrams tanks might have finally been deployed to the frontlines of Ukraine's fight to stop Vladimir Putin's invasion of the country according to recent reports. Here’s what we know and why it could help change the war. 

The Telegraph reported that images circulated by Ukrainian sources showed that Kyiv may have deployed the first of its American-supplied Abrams M1A1 tanks to the frontlines as the country shifts towards the defensive. 

The image can be traced to several Ukrainian military Telegram accounts and it shows the crew of the tank sitting atop an Abrams supplied to Ukraine by the United States that’s been painted in what The Telegraph referred to as a “woodland camouflage” design scheme. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @BaluHUB/6077

The British daily news outlet also explained that pro-Kremlin sources suggested that Ukriane's American Abrams tanks were spotted close to the frontlines near the embattled Ukrainian city of Kupyansk, where Ukraine has been on the defensive. 

The Telegraph reported that it couldn’t immediately verify the claims that Kyiv’s Abrams had been deployed to the frontlines but the news would corroborate other reports that Kyiv is using Western tanks to defend its frontline against Russia. 

On November 25th, Defense Blog reported that Ukraine's German-made Leopard 1A5 had been deployed to the frontlines of the war for the first time according to information from the journalist Andrey Tsaplyenko. 

The Leopard 1A5 in Tsaplyenko’s reporting was defending the front somewhere in Kharkiv and Defense One noted that the appearance of the tanks signified “an enhancement in Ukraine’s armored capabilities along the frontline.”

Why Ukraine has chosen to deploy its crucial American Abrams M1A1 armor before winter is not known and Kyiv never took the opportunity to use the bulk of its 31 Abrams tanks in its reserves to hit Russia during its months-long counter-offensive. 

On September 25th, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed in a Telegram post that America’s promised Abrams tanks were in Ukraine and preparing to reinforce the country’s brigades, the New York Times reported. 

However, reinforcement never came, and the long-awaited Ukrainian counter-offensive never materialized into something significant on land. However, Kyiv’s American Abrams tanks were never seen on the battlefield and there were many reasons why. 

Worsening weather after the United States shipped 31 Abrams M1A1 tanks to Ukraine and Russia’s difficult defenses were two big reasons analysts gave Business Insider about why Kyiv might have held off on deploying its American tanks during its counter-offensive. 

Those same analysts also predicted that onlookers likely wouldn't see the American-supplied Abrams play a major role in the war until the arrival of spring. Winter mud, rain, frost, and snow can make operating the M1A1 difficult. 

"Since the front is stable, the Ukrainians are likely keeping them in reserve," retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel and Senior Advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies Mark Cancian explained to Business Insider about how Urkiane would likely use its American-supplied tanks in the future. 

Cancian added that Kyiv would likely be “waiting for the right moment” to use its Abrams tanks, which he believed would happen at some point in the spring when Ukraine could launch a new offensive against Russia. 

Unfortunately, unless the United States sends more of its vaunted Abrams M1A1 tanks to Ukraine, the 31 currently in Kyiv’s arsenal will likely not be enough to prove decisive in a future offensive against Russia, something experts were noting in September.  

"While the Abrams is a valuable addition for Ukraine,” defense writer and military expert Michael Peck told Newsweek, “31 vehicles aren't enough to significantly affect the war."