Almost all of the M1 Abrams tanks provided by the US to Ukraine were destroyed by Russian forces, according to RIA Novosti. Of the total 31 vehicles transferred, only 5 are still in operation.
The grant of Abrams tanks was announced by former US President Joe Biden in January 2023, in support of Ukraine in the context of the escalating conflict with Russia. All of these vehicles were delivered in September of the same year. However, since then, Russian forces have continuously targeted this armored vehicle and released many videos proving the destruction or capture of Abrams tanks.
According to the latest information from RIA Novosti, since February 2024, the Russian army has destroyed 26 Abrams tanks, the first of which was destroyed on February 26 near Avdeevka, carried out by the "Central" task force.
In May, a seized Abrams was displayed at the Army 2024 military exhibition in Moscow along with other Western-supplied equipment.
Other sources also gave similar losses. The Dutch analyst group Oryx, which tracks equipment losses through authentication images, said Ukraine had lost at least 22 Abrams by the end of 2024.
Meanwhile, an American newspaper in March quoted Ukrainian officials as confirming that 19 vehicles were destroyed or severely damaged, forcing most of the rest to withdraw from the front line due to the failure to withstand Russian drone and artillery attacks.
Last week, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that it had seized two more Abrams tanks in a campaign in Ukraine's Sumy region. The video was released showing Russian soldiers pulling the tanks intact out of the area after the reconnaissance team ensured safety. These vehicles were then brought to the rear by the 22nd Mechanized infantry Regiment.
Although it was once hailed by the US media as a " Strategic card" that could turn the situation around for Kiev, the actual effectiveness of Abrams tanks was questioned early.
In September 2023, Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kirill Budanov admitted that these tanks would hardly last on the battlefield. Former US national security adviser Jake Sullivan later said that Abrams tanks no longer bring significant efficiency to Ukraine.
Moscow has repeatedly criticized the Western arms assistance to Kiev, saying it is only prolonging the conflict and causing more casualties without changing the outcome.
