Footage Shows Up-Armoured Ukrainian Abrams Tank Destroyed by Russian Forces in Kursk

New footage released from the Russian Kursk region has confirmed the destruction of a further M1A1 Abrams main battle tank fielded by the Ukrainian Army. The tank had seen its armour significantly improved since delivery to Ukraine in late 2023, most notably through the addition of Kontakt-1 explosive reactive armour, with Ukrainian industry having gone to considerable lengths to increase the protection on the vehicles particularly after they took heavy losses in their first engagements with Russian forces in February-April 2024. The latest loss brings the total losses of M1A1 Abrams tanks in Ukraine close to 20, out of just 31 of the vehicles delivered, with all losses occurring within the past six months. With unconfirmed reports indicating that the Abrams was destroyed using a handheld anti tank missile system, likely a Kornet, the destruction of the latest vehicle stands out from all other recent kills which were all achieved by drone strikes or by precision guided artillery. Western media outlets’ interviews with Ukrainian personnel have highlighted their dissatisfaction with the Abrams’ performance, citing both technical issues, including vulnerability of electronic components to condensation, as well as their vulnerability to Russian fire.

While Abrams tanks were previously deployed primarily near Avdiivka, a key Donbas town which in February was abandoned by Ukrainian forces after they took extreme casualties, the latest kill in the Russian Kursk region was the very first to occur in the area. While it remains uncertain how many Abrams tanks have been deployed to support Ukraine’s offensive into the territory, which began on August 6, the operation has been spearheaded by Ukraine’s most capable tank classes including T-80s, Challenger 2s and Leopards. Footage has confirmed the destruction of T-80s and Challenger 2s in the assault, which alongside the Abrams represent the scarcest tank classes in Ukrainian service.

Footage showing the destruction of an Abrams tank in Kursk comes just 11 days after footage on August 11 showed the destruction of one of the vehicles in a drone strike in the Pokrovsk direction. While Ukraine is expected to see destroyed Leopard tanks replaced from across Europe, most notably by Spain, there have been few indications that the United States could make further deliveries of Abrams tanks. It was previously assessed in 2022 that the U.S. would seek to avoid committing to deliver Abrams tanks to Ukraine, and would take measures to prevent their deployment to the frontlines, especially to ensure that the vehicle’s reputation was not tarnished by significant combat losses, with the vehicle’s combat record indicating that high attrition rates were likely.