The United States will accelerate the supply of tanks to Ukraine by sending an outdated modification of the M1A1, and not 30 M1M2 tanks, as previously promised. These tanks can enter service with the Ukrainian Armed Forces by the fall, according to the Associated Press.
Delivering tanks of a new configuration would take a year or two, the newspaper writes, citing sources among US officials. This was also confirmed during a briefing with reporters by Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder.
The Ministry of Defense, in close coordination with Ukraine, decided to supply Abrams tanks in the M1A1 variant, which will allow us to significantly speed up delivery times.
- said the representative of the US Department of Defense.
The Pentagon also explained the sending of obsolete tanks to the Ukrainian army by the fact that it will be easier for the soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to learn how to operate and maintain these vehicles. It is expected to be officially announced soon.
Earlier, British Deputy Defense Minister Annabelle Goldie said that in the near future London would transfer munitions containing depleted uranium to Kiev as part of military assistance to Ukraine. In turn, the head of the Russian Defense Ministry, Sergei Shoigu, told media representatives that the transfer of the mentioned ammunition to Kiev would cause Moscow to think seriously about how it could react.
