The West’s decision to transfer advanced tanks to Ukraine will help replenish the country’s dwindling military stockpile. Up until now, the Ukrainian military is still largely dependent on Soviet-era T-72 tanks.
The decision also signals that the West wants to give Ukraine another chance and regain the territories that have been lost since February 2022 and deal with the Russian attack. In addition to the delivery of the tanks, the US and Europe are committed to training Ukrainian troops in how to operate tanks and other vehicles. The West believes that with these new means, Ukraine will have more advantages than before.
Can NATO tanks turn the tide of battle?
It remains unclear whether Ukraine will be able to deploy NATO-supplied tanks any time soon, as there are many factors to consider.
M1 Abrams is considered a symbol of strength of the US military. If the crews of these tanks are not properly trained and lack the associated infrastructure and necessary maintenance, that can lead to negative consequences. They will not be able to help Ukraine turn the tide.
On the other hand, the image of the M1 Abrams tank being destroyed in combat could erode the pride of the US defense industry, reducing Washington’s credibility as the world’s top arms exporter. Therefore, before this vehicle is deployed in combat, the US needs to prepare a supply of spare parts, mobilize tank repair units and train crews to avoid the consequences. unfortunate results.
According to analysts, in order to gain an advantage over Russia on the battlefield, Ukraine needs a large number of tanks, at least from 200 to 300. So Washington supplying Ukraine with a company of M1 Abrams (10 to 15 units) will not make a significant difference.
According to some sources, up to the present time, Russia is said to not have too many difficulties in dealing with the enemy’s weapons and equipment. This is something that both the Russian Defense Ministry and most Western analysts seem to acknowledge. Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, said that since the start of the military operation in Ukraine, Russian forces have destroyed 376 aircraft, 203 helicopters, 2,944 UAVs, 402 missile systems anti-aircraft guns, 3,898 artillery pieces and mortars, and 7,614 tanks and other armored vehicles.
Moscow needs to prepare for the worst case scenario
Some military experts believe that it is likely that the first tanks that NATO provides to Ukraine will be used as training facilities for the country’s army on the battlefield and Poland will be the country providing energy. maintenance and repair force for American or German tanks. However, the training process will not last long. According to some sources, a full training program can take several weeks, while the training of crews of T-64/84 tanks using M1 Abrams or Leopard 2A5 can be completed in a few days.
The important thing is that the West has decided to cross the “red line” that has so far prevented them from supplying heavily armored vehicles to Ukraine. Once the decision of the US and Germany is implemented, the number of tanks that Ukraine is to be transferred may not stop at a few dozen, but even up to several hundred or several thousand. And so, Kiev has the ability to create a large offensive force on the front to break through the Russian defenses.
With this scenario, analysts say that the Russian armed forces need to achieve clear military and political victories before the West’s ability to supply weapons reaches its maximum. .