Ukraine has received the first of 49 tanks that Australia promised to send last year.
Australia’s government said on Saturday it had delivered M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine as part of an A$245 million ($160 million) package to help the country defend itself against Russia aggression.
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The US-made tanks’ arrival come just in time, as Russia continues to press Ukrainian forces in the Donetsk region and elsewhere along the 1,000 kilometer front line.
Australia’s Defense Minister Richard Marles said Ukraine has taken possession of most of the 49 tanks given by Australia, and the rest will be delivered in coming months.
“The M1A1 Abrams tanks will make a significant contribution to Ukraine’s ongoing fight against Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion,” Marles said in a statement.
The tanks constitute part of the A$1.5 billion ($980 million) that Australia has provided Ukraine in the conflict, the government said.
Not all they’re cracked up to be
In September 2023, the US had sent 31 refurbished M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks to Ukraine for its war against Russia, with the first of them reportedly deployed in February 2024. Although claimed to be one of the best tanks in the world, their performance in the field has not lived up to that billing.
All but 4 of the 31 armored vehicles gifted to Ukraine and first deployed in February 2024 have been destroyed.
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Not only had the tanks been provided without some of the latest upgraded depleted uranium armor and fire control systems, it was soon evident that they were vulnerable to the warfighting innovations that have arisen on Ukraine’s battlefields. As with most, if not all, currently fielded main battle tanks, they were designed to fight “tank-on-tank” battles and so were given extensive frontal protection.
However, the war in Ukraine has changed the nature of the threat. The ubiquitous first-person view (FPV) attack drones, modern anti-tank guided weapons (ATGW) and guided artillery have all highlighted the Abrams’ vulnerability to strikes from above.
More than just tanks
Still, Australia is one of the largest non-NATO contributors to Ukraine and has been supplying aid, ammunition and defense equipment since Moscow invaded its neighbor in February 2022.
Australia has banned exports of aluminum ores to Russia, and has sanctioned about 1,000 Russian individuals and entities.
Australia’s center-left Labor government this year labelled Russia as the aggressor in the conflict and called for the war to be resolved on Kyiv’s terms.
The Australian Government has also imposed sanctions against the so-called Russia’s shadow fleet for the first time, targeting 60 vessels, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong reported in a press release on June 18.
“Russia uses these vessels to circumvent international sanctions and sustain its illegal and immoral war against Ukraine,” the press release says.
Between 2023-2024, Russia formed a shadow fleet of tankers in an attempt to evade the restrictions imposed by Western sanctions, including EU’s $60 per barrel oil price cap imposed in December 2022. The fleet allows Russia to ship oil, liquified natural gas (LNG) and gas while bypassing sanctions.