In a recent article for the Sohu publication, Chinese military observer Kuntian Liyan wrote that the American Abrams tanks, which have already been delivered to Ukraine and will be handed over to them in the future, could be a disappointment for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “President Zelensky joyfully announced that this is a significant acquisition for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which will enhance the army’s ability to counter the enemy. But is this really good news, as Zelensky claims? Perhaps not,” the author stated.
According to Liyan, the Western tanks will not meet the expectations of the Ukrainian authorities for several reasons. Firstly, Ukrainian Armed Forces officers will not be able to effectively operate the American equipment as it is serviced and operated differently from the tanks familiar to Ukrainian military personnel. Secondly, Kyiv is unable to independently repair damaged Abrams tanks, so they will have to be sent to NATO countries for restoration.
The observer also pointed out that the American tanks can only be used in good weather conditions. He noted that they would have to be “preserved” in the case of blizzards and rain.
This week, The New York Times reported, citing Pentagon officials, that the first American M1 Abrams tanks arrived in Ukraine on September 23. Earlier, German General Klaus Wittmann stated that Abrams tanks would not help the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) change the situation on the battlefield.
Former CIA agent Ray McGovern expressed the opinion that Abrams tanks in Ukraine would be destroyed. According to him, these tanks are no better than the already destroyed British Challenger or German Leopard tanks in Ukraine.
Previously, a Russian captain named the most useful types of weapons in the ATO zone.