'Vulnerable' Abrams Tanks in Ukraine May Be Swiftly 'Detected & Destroyed' by Russia's UAVs

Russia’s unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been relentlessly homing in on the Kiev regime’s weaponry donated by NATO, wreaking havoc on Ukrainian forces as they struggle with their faltering counteroffensive. When delivery of US-made Abrams battle tanks to Ukraine was announced, Moscow responded by saying that, "[Abrams] too will burn."

Abrams tanks supplied to Ukraine by its Western donors will be increasingly vulnerable because of the wide use of Russia's advanced drones during combat operations, military expert Gustav Gressel told German media.

“The technologies of warfare are changing rapidly. The proliferation of drones has made [Abrams] tanks more vulnerable. They can be detected and destroyed more swiftly," Gressel, a senior policy expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) which specializes in armed conflict and military affairs, was quoted as saying by a media outlet.

Furthermore, the time factor was singled out by the expert. Gressel underscored that last autumn, when Ukraine was begging for Western tanks, Russian forces did not have as many unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at their disposal. Accordingly, the significance of the arrival of Western battle tanks has been diminished, the military expert acknowledged.

Throughout Ukraine’s botched counteroffensive, Russia’s Lancet loitering munition/kamikaze attack drones have wreaked havoc on Ukrainian forces, relentlessly destroying the Kiev regime’s manpower and weaponry donated by NATO. The Russian army uses Lancet drones in the special operation zone to target various Ukrainian military assets such as howitzers, air defenses, multiple launch rocket systems, as well as command and observation posts, and gatherings of troops.

As for the much-heralded arrival of the M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks, the United States reportedly began delivering these to Ukraine in late September. These tanks are part of a 31-tank package approved by the Biden administration. Close to 500 Ukrainian soldiers have undergone a 10-week course on how to operate and maintain the M1A1 at the US Army’s Grafenwöhr training facility in West Germany.

However, Abrams armor will not be able to jumpstart Ukraine’s stalled offensive, experts told Sputnik. The Ukrainian soldiers, after their crack training routine, will have only the most basic skill levels associated with the M1A1 Abrams, lacking any tactical or operational skill. Their gunnery skill will also be rudimentary, pundits added, describing the M1A1 as no more than a "death trap" when facing off against Russian military equipped with modern tank-killing weapons.

Since Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine in 2022, the United States and its NATO allies have eagerly supplied the regime in Kiev with a variety of weapons and military equipment, ranging from small arms and body armor to multiple launch rocket systems and main battle tanks. The Kiev regime has also received battle tanks from Poland, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and North Macedonia, Slovenia - initially upgraded versions of Soviet-era models. However, as Ukraine’s manpower and weaponry losses mounted, Western tanks began to be funneled to the Kiev regime by NATO members such as Germany, Spain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Portugal. In the wake of the Leopard 1 and 2 tank shipments, and with the UK sending its Challenger 2 tanks, the United States finally announced in January that a battalion of America’s best tanks would be sent to “improve” Ukraine’s “ability to maneuver in open terrain”.

Now, the arrival of M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine comes as Russian forces have been successfully taking on Ukraine’s NATO-equipped army, with dozens of Leopard 1s and Leopard 2s knocked out, and at least two of Britain’s "unbeatable" tanks destroyed earlier this month.

As for Moscow, it succinctly commented that, "these [Abrams] tanks will burn too", in reference to the shipment of Abrams tanks to Ukraine. Western weapons deliveries will be unlikely to change the balance of power on the battlefield, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized, adding that the US continues to increase its involvement in the conflict, and the Russian Army is honing its countermeasures skills.