US hands over 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine

This was stated by Colonel Martin O'Donnell, a representative of the US Army Command in Europe and Africa, Voice of America reports.

According to him, all Ukrainians who trained on tanks with US forces in Germany have also returned to Ukraine, along with ammunition and spare parts for tanks.

O'Donnell also noted that it would take some time for the Abrams to get directly to the battlefield. After all, Ukrainian troops are checking the availability of the necessary support elements and determining when and where to use the tanks to achieve the greatest effect against Russian troops.

"We have fulfilled the agreement. From now on, it is up to Ukraine to determine when and where they will provide this capability. I think Ukraine will be careful about when and where it uses US tanks," the US Army spokesman said.

He added that the Abrams tank is "a great armored vehicle, but it's not a silver bullet."

"In the end, it's Ukraine's determination to break through that matters most," O'Donnell said.

Supply of Abrams to Ukraine

On January 25 2023, US President Joe Biden officially announced that 31 Abrams would be provided to Ukraine. 

This step by the United States had another positive effect for Ukraine – it pushed Germany to transfer Leopard tanks to Kyiv. 

In May, the first group of 400 Ukrainian soldiers began training in Germany on American Abrams tanks. 

On September 25, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the arrival of the first batch of American-made Abrams tanks in Ukraine.

At the same time, the US Department of Defense refused to give exact figures or details about the Abrams tanks it had handed over to Ukraine.