Business Insider reported that President Donald Trump's decision to stop providing military aid could be seen as a serious blow to Ukraine's arsenal, especially in the context of the US-made depletion of armored vehicles and Abrams strategic tanks.
Last week, unnamed Kiev officials admitted that 19 of the 31 Abrams were destroyed, severely damaged or fell to enemy hands, while the rest were withdrawn from the front line due to heavy pressure from Russian artillery and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
According to Business Insider, Ukraine will not be able to maintain tanks or repair damaged ones during the war because Mr. Trump's decision to stop the transfer of weapons also includes the suspension of the supply of important spare parts.
Mr. Serhiy Rakhmanin - a member of the Ukrainian National Assembly Committee on national security, defense and intelligence - said that Ukrainian forces operating in Russian territory, especially in the western part of Kursk province, depend on a large number of US armored vehicles. These include Abrams tanks, Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and Stryker armored transport vehicles.
According to Mr. Rakhmanin, Ukraine is currently having difficulty repairing and maintaining military equipment, including tanks and armored vehicles, because the number of replacement parts is already very limited.
Mr. Rakhmanin emphasized that the Kiev army does not lack military equipment, but the major problem at present is the lack of spare parts for maintenance and repair of existing equipment.
The US sent 31 M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine in the fall of 2023. However, by mid-2024, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that number was not enough to make a difference on the battlefield, while many US media outlets at the time praised this as a game-changer.
The Biden administration has also sent more than 300 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, more than 400 Stryker armored vehicles and hundreds of other armored vehicles to Kiev.
Ukraine continued to receive some more German Leopard 2 tanks and British Challenger 2 tanks afterwards. However, according to Business Insider, this makes the situation more complicated because each type of spare parts request, while the lack of replacement spare parts only increases the risk.
Mr. Rakhmanin said that the US could allow its European allies to buy and send replacement parts to Ukraine to overcome the above situation. However, it is unclear whether this is licensed.
Mr. Rakhmanin warned that if it is not feasible, Ukraine will have to dismantle or, as he said, "dismantle" existing military equipment just to get spare parts and maintain an operation.
In addition to stopping the supply of weapons, the US has recently decided to stop sharing intelligence with Ukraine to increase pressure on President Zelensky to sign a mineral deal with Washington.
