Ukraine withdrew Abrams tanks from the front because of drones – AP

Two American military officials spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity regarding the Ukrainians’ withdrawal of Abrams from the front, and the Deputy Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff in an interview with AP said that the American and Ukrainian militaries are now thinking together regarding how to use tanks in the new situation that has arisen.

The United States transferred 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine in January 2023. Then it was planned that these and other tanks transferred by the allies would help the Ukrainian army break through Russian defense lines and recapture the occupied territories.

But since then the situation has changed a lot: the air above the front line is teeming with drones. “There is no open space that you can simply drive through without fear of being noticed,” one military official explained to reporters on Thursday.

According to him, five of the 31 Abrams have already been lost.

“In terms of how technology has changed, massed armor in an environment saturated with unmanned aerial vehicles may be at risk,” Adm. Christopher Grady, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the AP.

“We will work with our Ukrainian partners and other partners on the ground and help them think through how to apply this technology in such a changed environment where everything is immediately visible,” Admiral Grady promised.