Russia has destroyed three U.S.-donated Abrams tanks in southern Ukraine since late February, according to Moscow, as Russia claims to have destroyed a slew of advanced U.S.-supplied equipment along the front lines.
On Wednesday, Russia said its forces had destroyed a U.S.-made Abrams tank operated by Ukraine close to the captured eastern city of Avdiivka, which Moscow has controlled since mid-February. Moscow claimed it knocked out a first Abrams tank in late February, and said on Monday that it had taken out a second one during clashes around villages west of Avdiivka.
The U.S. has sent 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, which arrived in the war-torn country in the fall of 2023. Analysts say the handful of tanks are a boost to Ukraine’s stocks, but they came in too small a quantity to make a real difference to Kyiv’s war effort.
Alongside the Abrams, the U.S. has delivered nearly 200 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles to Ukraine. Fighters deployed around Avdiivka earlier this year told Newsweek that Russian armored vehicle crews were “afraid” to launch operations “when they know that a Bradley will be against them.”
But Russia said that since the end of February, it had taken out eight Bradleys. On Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said it destroyed a Ukrainian Bradley infantry fighting vehicle on the eastern frontlines around Avdiivka. The previous day, Moscow said Ukraine lost three Bradleys west of the city, and another in battles early on during the weekend.
On February 28, Russia said Kyiv’s fighters had lost two Bradley infantry fighting vehicles in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian troops lost another Bradley around Avdiivka the previous day, Moscow said.
Russia also said this week that it had destroyed three U.S.-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) in the east and south of the country. Analysts say figures from Russia on Ukraine’s reported losses are generally inflated, and Ukraine rarely comments on its own losses.
Footage widely circulated online earlier this week appears to confirm the loss of one Ukrainian HIMARS. Russia has repeatedly claimed to have destroyed HIMARS since the system arrived in Ukraine in the summer of 2022, but this is the first visual evidence of the loss of one of the artillery systems.
Videos shared by open-source intelligence accounts in recent days also appear to show an Abrams tank in flames.
Newsweek reached out to the Ukrainian military for comment via email.
Last month, footage appeared to show two damaged HIMARS vehicles arriving in the United States from Ukraine for repairs.
The U.S. has donated a total of 39 HIMARS to Ukraine, and Kyiv has lauded their effectiveness against Russian forces.
SOURCE: NEWSWEEK
