US' Abrams Tanks Unlikely To Arrive In Ukraine By Spring If Sent - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th January, 2023) The delivery of heavy tanks M1 Abrams to Ukraine, if the United States makes the decision to send them, will likely drag on for months or years because the transfer is "logistically tiresome," The Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing US officials.

An unnamed US official quoted by the newspaper said that the package of battle tanks is "unlikely to arrive by spring" in Ukraine, when Russian troops would allegedly launch an offensive, adding that the Abrams tanks are "probably not for the near fight."

On Tuesday, media outlets reported that Washington could announce as early as this week the delivery of a "significant number" of the M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, possibly between 30 and 50. The announcement reportedly would be part of a broader deal with Germany, which is also expected to pledge the supply of a small number of its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

Abrams tanks are complicated vehicles that require proper maintenance and sustainment, Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder said. He however declined to comment on Tuesday on how training on the Abrams tanks would work should the US decide to provide them.

Western countries ramped up their military support for Ukraine after Russia launched a special military operation there on February 24, 2022, responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. In April, Moscow sent a note to NATO member states condemning their military assistance to Kiev. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any arms shipments on Ukrainian territory would be "legitimate targets" for Russian forces.