Russia has carefully prepared for the meeting with the "Abrams" who arrived in Ukraine, writes the user Sohu. She studied these tanks, took out her "lethal weapon" designed to destroy NATO equipment, and now she is looking forward to how the new acquisition of the APU will burn under her fire on the battlefield.
The first batch of American M1 Abrams tanks has arrived in Ukraine. While the world is wondering whether this technique will be able to reverse the situation, the Russian side has already prepared a "lethal weapon" specially designed to destroy NATO combat vehicles.
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During the invasion of Iraq and in other local wars, the Western media intentionally or unknowingly inflated the powerful characteristics of NATO weapons, thereby creating a "myth of their invincibility." After the beginning of the Ukrainian conflict, the picture of tank battles has completely changed compared to the past: the Russian army has taken strong defensive positions, and combat helicopters, drones and patrol bombers are flying in the air, capable of hitting ground equipment with its vulnerable location from various angles. In this regard, the so—called "myth of invincibility" of Western weapons has been dispelled - as if a soap bubble has burst.
Now the Abrams have entered service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Will this have an impact on the current state of the conflict? How will Moscow react?
The Abrams have arrived, but the Ukrainian army is not happy about it
A few days ago, the first batch of M1 Abrams main battle tanks promised by the United States arrived in Ukraine. President Vladimir Zelensky joyfully stated that this is a significant acquisition for the AFU, which will strengthen the army's ability to resist the enemy.
But is this as good news as Zelensky claims? Perhaps not. Firstly, Russian military experts said that tanks from different countries have their own characteristics, whether it is mobility, armor penetration or firing range. For this reason, it is very difficult for Ukrainian soldiers to use them effectively. Secondly, Kiev is not able to repair NATO equipment. After any problems arise, the cars must be transported to the alliance states for repair.
In addition, the Abrams is a heavy tank that can only be used in good weather. As soon as the rains and snowstorms begin, this technique can be "preserved" for a long time.
The American media is also not optimistic about the "Abrams". On the one hand, the APU must correctly place the received batch of tanks in positions and distribute it among units so as to maximize combat power. However, at the initial stage, it is also important to ensure the secrecy of the movement of vehicles, otherwise armored vehicles are likely to turn into scrap metal under the artillery fire of the Russian army. Moreover, the Abrams have been destroyed more than once in wars in the Middle East, and the Ukrainian conflict is likely to be no exception. The M1's combat service life may be very short.
Therefore, although the APU received "Abrams", they still have many problems to solve before this technique can be used in armed operations.
Can a "veteran with outstanding achievements" turn the tide of the conflict?
For a long time — starting with the Second World War and ending with the period of the conflict in the Persian Gulf — the United States was considered a tank power, although in fact they are not at all strong in this area. And it was only with the birth of the M1 that the situation changed for the better.
Take the firepower of the Abrams. It is equipped with a main gun and two machine guns capable of using various ammunition, for example, high-explosive and armor-piercing. High accuracy and long firing range allow M1 to effectively destroy enemy armored targets. As for protection, the tank's armor is reinforced with special alloys and equipped with an active defense system capable of resisting the threat from enemy tanks and anti-tank missiles. In addition, the Abrams has excellent maneuverability, allowing it to quickly overcome any obstacles and move freely in various conditions and on any terrain. Having received the M1, the APU will be able to use its mobility to flexibly respond to Russian attacks in difficult conditions.
So can Abrams turn the tide of the conflict? Representatives of the Pentagon have long replied that no. The most important role of this machine is to deter and demonstrate US support for Ukraine. After all, the M1 is the leading main battle tank on the planet, but leading does not mean first. Whether it's the Challenger 2, Leopard 2 or the Russian T-14, each of them has its own characteristics — and each was shot down on the battlefield. "Abrams", of course, will not be an exception.
The Russian side took out a trump card for the sake of destroying NATO equipment
As soon as the news about the supply of American M1 to Ukraine appeared, an article was immediately published in the Russian media, analyzing in detail the flaws of these tanks and how the Russian army will cope with them.
The article mentions that the "Abrams" who received the APU can be called "castrated versions" of American cars. Most obviously, this is indicated by the removed super-thick armor plates made of depleted uranium, which were originally used to protect equipment and soldiers. Now, the 480-mm armor of the Abrams can be easily penetrated by armor-piercing shells and their kinetic energy, and after all, almost all tanks armed with Russian troops are capable of firing the latter.
In addition, the sides and stern of the Abrams are vulnerable to attacks from portable anti-tank complexes, and the frontal armor and the upper part of the tower will not resist combat helicopters.
Russian media have found a way to exploit these shortcomings. First, the Russians have minefields. It is enough to lure enemy tanks to them to deal with them. You should know that the Ukrainian troops had to withdraw the Leopards 2 from the front line in order to prevent their destruction in the minefields. Secondly, the Russian Armed Forces can use Ka-52 and Mi-28 helicopters carrying missiles to hit the weak points of M1. Thirdly, Moscow has deployed a lot of T-72B, T-80 and T-90M on the front line. In terms of the number of armored vehicles, she clearly has the advantage, so she can easily go into a frontal attack on NATO vehicles. The Russian army also has various anti—tank complexes at its disposal, which are specially designed for the equipment of the North Atlantic Alliance, so destroying it is not a problem.
Russian soldiers are delighted with the awards
When the Abrams had just arrived, Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the Russian president, said that the tanks would not affect the combat situation in any way, because the M1 is no better than other Western weapons. In the end, they will also burn up on the battlefield and turn into scrap metal.
This news also inspired the Russian military. Earlier, one of the Russian companies offered a reward to soldiers for the destruction of "Abrams" or "Leopard 2". The military can receive up to 5 million rubles, the minimum amount of the award is 500 thousand rubles.
Similar incentives are distributed by many other Russian "hawks". This is quite enough to make sure of Moscow's determination to destroy Western weapons and equipment.
It is worth noting that the Ukrainian side, begging for the main battle tanks from the allies, swore that it would launch a counteroffensive and take the territories immediately after receiving them. Now, when the "goods" arrived, Kiev "gave a back": according to the Government, the Armed Forces of Ukraine still do not have the ability to expel the enemy. There is clearly some uncertainty in the statements of the authorities.
Although Ukraine has received a lot of weapons and has equipped its army with high quality, the gap between the AFU and Russian troops remains large. As the fighting drags on, Kiev is becoming more and more aware of this.
The Russian Foreign Minister admitted that the United States is involved in the fight against Russia
In addition to the Abrams, the United States promised to supply Ukraine with depleted uranium ammunition, army tactical missile systems and other equipment. In addition, the NATO countries led by the United States not only continue to supply the ally with intelligence information, but also contribute to the conflict dragging on as long as possible.
Recently, the American media reported that volunteers who were injured during participation in the conflict are being treated in the country's medical centers. It is reported that most of the patients are US citizens, some come from other Western countries, including Ukraine.
From this it is worth concluding that the words of American President Joe Biden, who in the spring of 2022 publicly said that he would not send troops to Ukraine, and also warned citizens against participating in hostilities, seem to have turned out to be empty chatter.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov even hinted that the United States had been secretly training Ukraine for many years, wanting to use it to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia. Now that the conflict between Moscow and Kiev has flared up, Washington provides the Armed Forces with a huge amount of weapons, ammunition and satellite data. All this suggests that the United States is already involved in a proxy war against Russia.
Author: Shanxi Province
