Armor: Evolution of Tank Warfare in Ukraine
March 17, 2024: Tank warfare has gone through many changes since the early 2022 Russian invasion. Russia lost the majority of its most modern tanks during the first few months. They were victims of modern portable anti-tank weapons built by the United States and European countries, including Ukraine. There was also some opposition by Ukrainian T-72 tanks. Many of the Russian tanks lost were abandoned by the crews and captured by the Ukrainians. These tanks, about 500 of them, were given new paint jobs and became Ukrainian tanks. Ukrainians now knew the vulnerabilities of the T-72-type tanks they and the Russians used. In response to Ukrainian requests the Americans sent 31 M1s and Germany sent Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 tanks.
The American M1A2 tanks arrived in Ukraine in 2023. These are an older model of the M1. The United States Army did not want to risk the Russians capturing a current model of the M1 and have an opportunity to reverse-engineer M1 capabilities for Russian tanks. That may change because Poland has more modern M1 models and will offer to send some to the Ukrainians if the situation gets desperate. Poland has provided similar military aid to Ukraine since before the 2022 Russian invasion. Poland shares a long border with Ukraine and realizes that if Ukraine is defeated, the Russians will come after Poland next. If the 31 M1 tanks sent to Ukraine prove useful, Poland could, with American permission and assurance of replacements, send more.
Ezoic
At the moment neighboring Poland has 366 American M1 tanks in service or on order. The first to arrive were 116 used M1A1 models that were ordered in 2022. These began arriving in Poland during 2023 and all will be delivered by 2025. In 2023 Poland ordered another 250 M1A2 tanks, with deliveries to begin in 2025.
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