WSJ: Abrams tanks unlikely to significantly alter shape of Ukraine war

The first U.S.-made M1 Abrams tanks have arrived in Ukraine to help with its counteroffensive, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on September 25. The questions now are how quickly can they enter the fight and how much impact will they have on a shifting battlefield.

Advanced Western-made tanks and other armored vehicles have become a focus in debates between Ukrainian military leaders and their backers in the Pentagon, some of whom have wanted Kyiv to use the equipment more aggressively in battle.

Ukrainian military leaders, who initially attempted to follow the U.S. approach but faced setbacks because of Russian minefields and aerial attacks, have since shifted to a more gradual approach that has drawn criticism from some Western observers, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Though the arrival of the American tanks is welcome, Ukrainian officials acknowledge that, four months into the offensive, the vehicles are unlikely to significantly alter the shape of the war.

With fall rains approaching, the ground will soon grow muddy, making it much more difficult for armored vehicles to maneuver through fields.

Also, the first months of the counteroffensive, when Ukraine pressed forward with German Leopard II tanks and American armed personnel carriers, showed that Western armored vehicles were prime targets for the Russians. Drones often quickly spot armored vehicles, calling their position into artillery units and helicopters, which then target them.

Still, the Abrams, which is among the world’s most sophisticated, have some technical advantages that could make them more useful to Ukraine than its other Western tanks. Their arrival also offers a morale boost to Ukrainian forces.