Heartbreaking footage shows US-made M1 Abrams tank firing on Russians on Ukraine’s frontline for the first time
THIS is the heartbreaking moment a US-made M1 Abrams tank shot down Russians on Ukraine’s frontline for the first time.
Like the Ukraine Marking two years of the war, Kiev continues its desperate bid to stop Putin’s brutal invasion of its territory.
5
5
5
The US has sent 31 advanced M1 Abrams tanks worth more than £300 million as part of Western support for Ukraine.
The Mammoth tank is widely considered the most powerful ground weapon in the US arsenal.
The 31 American-made tanks were delivered last to Ukraine autumn – but haven’t been used in combat until a month ago.
The new video showed the 47th Mechanized Brigade the driving the M1 through the snow winter conditions.
In another clip you can see the Abrams tanks shelling Russian positions to prevent them from advancing.
This is the first video to document the use of the dangerous tanks on the front line, demonstrating their deadly effectiveness current.
The M1 Abrams can approach enemy targets and fire with precision along the way.
It is equipped with a 120mm smoothbore tank gun and two machine guns – one on top of the turret that rotates 360 degrees in nine seconds.
In addition to stability and accuracy, the tank has superior protection for the crew with heavy Chobham armor – ceramic and steel plate developed in Britain.
It can protect the vehicle from small arms fire, shell fragments and even direct hits.
The mammoth tank also has a nuclear-chemical-biological warfare protection system.
M1 Abrams features secure ammunition storage to prevent explosions, agility and speed over uneven terrain, and effective ventilation.
The Abrams have been in service since the 1980s and were initially developed to fight the Soviets.
It was used many times over the years in battle with the Pentagon purchasing more than 7,000 of the tanks.
It was deployed to Afghanistan in 2011, suffering only one injury in action despite surviving nineteen strikes.
But there are also disadvantages: the enormous fuel consumption of the engine, the limited range and the complex maintenance.
Footage of its incredible use was shared by the 47th Brigade on their Telegram channel.
The caption read: “And while the Russian occupiers try to find out where the Abrams tanks are, tankers from the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade have been dissecting the Russian invaders and their equipment for more than a month.”
The Department of Defense Ukraine thanked its Western allies for supplying the weapons.
In a Facebook post, they wrote: “Thanks to the partners of the United States for these weapons and in general for supporting Ukraine in the war of independence.”
This comes a year after President Joe Biden announced that the US will send the battle tanks to help Ukrainian fighters “improve their ability to maneuver in open terrain.”
But the tanks still had a long way to go before they could be delivered and used on the front lines.
The Pentagon hesitated for a long time to send the M1 because it posed logistical problems and the tank required complex maintenance.
The American move came a day after reluctant Germany folded under international pressure to provide their military support to war-torn Ukraine.
Biden told reporters at the time: “Germany didn’t force me to change my mind, we wanted to make sure we were all together.”
Bowing to the president’s pleas and appeals ZelenskiyGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed to send 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks to Ukraine.
But the move sparked anger among Russian propagandists who issued a statement chilling nuclear warning Unpleasant Germany.
5
5