The first batch of American-made Abrams tanks has been delivered to Ukraine, The New York Times reported on Monday, citing two US defence officials.
The tanks, which have arrived “months ahead” of schedule, will be used in the Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russian forces, according to the report.
Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, has warned that the tanks would be deployed “in a very tailored way, for very specific, well-crafted operations” to avoid their potential loss.
The newspaper’s sources in the US Department of Defence say more tanks will be shipped to Ukraine in the coming months, with a total of 31 due to be delivered. The number of tanks in the first consignment has not been specified, though Politico reported in August that the first shipment would contain between six and eight tanks.
The tanks were initially sent to Germany in August for repairs and refitting and weren’t expected to arrive in Ukraine until late 2023.
