Ukraine has gained a powerful weapon. "Abrams already in Ukraine"

The first of the promised 31 Abrams tanks from the US have arrived in Ukraine. This was announced by President Volodymyr Zelensky. He added that the machines "are being prepared to reinforce" the brigades at the front.

"Good news from Minister (Defense Rustem) Umerov. The Abrams missiles are already in Ukraine and are being prepared to strengthen our brigades," the President of Ukraine said via Telegram.

The machines reached Ukraine, which is defending itself against Russian aggression, several months before the originally planned date.

Tanks for Ukraine. January US declaration

The USA declared the delivery of 31 M1 Abrams tanks to the Ukrainian Armed Forces in January this year, and training of Ukrainian crews using this equipment began in early summer in Grafenwöhr, Germany. The total value of the 31 Abrams tanks that the US will provide to Ukraine will be USD 400 million.

In addition to tanks, the US will also provide 8 M88 technical support vehicles. The official explained that the number of 31 tanks is equal to one Ukrainian armored battalion.

The Ukrainians have a plan for Abrams

 If tanks are sent to the front line in order not to forcefully break through the Russian defense, "they will not live long on the battlefield, so they must be used in key operations, but first they must be well prepared," Budanov said a few days ago.

Ukrainians are, of course, already familiar with vehicles. Americans trained Ukrainians in late spring, conducting a shortened 12-week course in operating Abrams tanks at American military bases in Germany.

The Abrams M1A1 is a modernized version of the first mass-produced Abrams tank, which was produced between 1985 and 1992. In this version, the vehicle has a number of improvements, including a protection system against weapons of mass destruction (radiological, chemical and biological) and a new smoothbore L gun. /44 M256A1 120 mm. This was a very significant change, because the original Abrams model had a 105 mm rifled gun.

The tank is also operated by a four-person crew: commander, driver, loader, and gunner. This is a big change compared to the tanks available in Ukraine, where the crew consists of three people supported by an automatic gun loader. Already in this version, the tank also received top-secret depleted uranium armor, but the tanks will be stripped of it before being shipped to Ukraine.

Abrams M1A1 is also a perfectly protected structure using composite armor supported by, among others, automatic fire suppression system or smoke grenade launchers, which can hide the machine's heat signature.