America gave Abrams tanks to Ukraine, but did they make a difference?

Back in September 2023, the United States sent 31 Abrams M1A1 tanks to Ukraine to help Zelensky fight Russia. Many believed that they would make a big difference in helping Ukraine turn the tide of the war, but did they actually make any difference at all?

President Joe Biden pledged to provide Ukraine with 31 Abrams tanks in January 2023, reasoning that Kyiv required the tanks to both defend its territory and be better prepared for the country’s 2023 summer offensive. 

"They need to be able to counter Russia's evolving tactics and strategy on the battlefield in the very near term,” Biden explained according to reporting from Politico. “They need to improve their ability to maneuver in open terrain.”

Biden added that Ukraine also needed to be able to field “an enduring capability to deter and defend against Russian aggression over the long term," but that capability seems to have been hampered by the nature of modern war. 

Much like the Russian tanks at risk of being destroyed by unmanned aerial systems and drones on the battlefield, Ukraine’s American-supplied M1A1 tanks have allegedly been pulled from the frontline due to the threat of drones. 

The Associated Press reported that Russian use of surveillance drones and hunter-killer drones has made it difficult for Ukraine to protect its tanks when soldiers can quickly find and then hunt Ukrainian assets on the ground. 

So far five of the Abrams M1A1 tanks supplied to Kyiv have been destroyed by Russian attacks, a situation that has allegedly prompted the Ukrianians to pull their M1A1 tanks from the frontline according to several sources. 

One senior defense official speaking on the condition of anonymity before an April 26th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group explained that the expansion of drones on the battlefield has hampered the use of Ukraine’s M1A1.  

“There isn’t open ground that you can just drive across without fear of detection,” noted the defense official. This may be why other officials claimed Ukraine has moved its U.S. tanks away from the frontlines.  

Ukraine’s M1A1 tanks have been moved away from the front until Kyiv and its allies can reset the tactics the country’s armed forces are using according to Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman Admiral Christopher Grady and one anonymous U.S. defense official. 

“When you think about the way the fight has evolved, massed armor in an environment where unmanned aerial systems are ubiquitous can be at risk,” Grady explained to the Associated Press in an interview, adding that the tanks were still important. 

“Now, there is a way to do it,” Grady said. “We’ll work with our Ukrainian partners, and other partners on the ground, to help them think through how they might use that, in that kind of changed environment now, where everything is seen immediately.”

The 47th Separate Mechanised Brigade of Ukraine's Armed Forces dismissed claims by the Associated Press that the Abrams tanks supplied to Ukraine were taken off the front in a Telegram message translated by Ukrainska Pravda.

"Tanks perform well on the battlefield, and we are definitely not going to hide something from the enemy that usually makes them hide themselves. Moreover, we are not going to leave our infantry without such powerful fire support,” the message read. 

“However, we will not comment publicly on the purpose, location, and equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. We ask you to trust only verified information and to contact the press service for official comments before releasing any materials,” the message added. 

In September 2023, defense writer and military expert Michael Peck told Newsweek that while the delivery of 31 Abrams M1A1 tanks would add “more punch” to Ukraine's counter-offensive, they would only be successful under certain circumstances.

"While the Abrams is a valuable addition for Ukraine, 31 vehicles aren't enough to significantly affect the war," Peck added. Whether or not this will turn out to be true has yet to be seen, but it does appear that Kyiv’s Abrams hasn’t changed the war. 

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