According to the journalists of The New York Times, during the last two months, the Ukrainian military lost at least 5 Abrams tanks out of 31, which were received from the USA.
What is known about the reasons for the loss of Abrams tanks on the battlefield
The authors of the material emphasize that the increase in the use of attack UAVs by both the Ukrainian military and the Russian occupiers leads to the loss of military equipment.
Over the past two months, Russian forces have destroyed five of the 31 American M1 Abrams tanks that the Pentagon sent to Ukraine last fall, a senior US official said. At least three more have been damaged since the tanks were sent to the front lines earlier this year, the publication said.
Oryx OSINT analysts also note that Ukraine has already lost at least 30 German Leopard tanks.
Experts point out that the destruction of Abrams tanks with the help of drones indicates a decrease in the role of this technology in modern warfare.
The fact that it is easier to destroy with drones than some officials and experts initially assumed shows that "another way of conflict in Ukraine is changing the very nature of modern warfare," one military expert noted.
What is known about the vulnerability of Abrams tanks
In the article, the publication notes that despite the strength and power, Abrams tanks are not impenetrable.
In particular, they have vulnerabilities where their heavy plate armor is thinnest, including on the roof of the turret, in the rear of the engine block, and in the space between the hull and the turret.
For many years, mines, improvised explosive devices, grenade launchers and shoulder-launched shoulder-fired anti-tank guided missiles have been used against them.
They were widely used at the beginning of the war in Ukraine, as they could attack tanks from above and hit them in 90% of cases.
However, the drones currently used against tanks in Ukraine are even more accurate and can be targeted to hit tanks in the most vulnerable locations. Also, in several cases, FPV drones were directed to "finish off" tanks that had already been damaged by mines or anti-tank missiles in such a way that they could not be removed from the battlefield and repaired.
Depending on the size and technological complexity, drones can cost as little as $500 — a small amount to destroy an Abrams tank worth $10 million, the journalists emphasize.
