Ukraine’s First Batch of Abrams Tanks Was Wiped Out: The Next is Already Arriving in Poland Awaiting Delivery

The release of recent images taken in Poland have confirmed the arrival of former Australian Army M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks in the country, with the vehicles having been pledged to the Ukrainian Armed Forces as aid. Poland has served as a hub for the bulk of Western material support to Ukraine since the outbreak of full scale hostilities in the country in February 2022, with the appearance of Abrams tanks in Australian Army camouflage in the country indicating that the first deliveries to Ukrainian forces is likely imminent. The tanks were phased out of service in Australia due to their age, with new M1A2 SEPv3 tanks having been ordered from theUnited States to replace them. Plans to supply the much older Abrams tanks were first announced by Canberra in October 2024, although a number of sources subsequently reported that a lack of authorisation from the United States to transfer them to Ukraine was a major factor delaying their delivery.

Ukrainian Army tank crews first completed training on the Abrams in September 2023, after which 31 newly built tanks were delivered as aid by the United States, the last of which arrived before the end of the month. The tanks began to be utilised for frontline operations in February 2024, but quickly began to take heavy losses, so that by late August 2024 losses were estimated at close to two third of the fleet at 20 of the 31 tanks. By early June 2025 the Ukrainian Army wasassessed to have lost 87 percent of the American sourced tanks with 27 of the 31 vehicles destroyed or captured. Before they began to see combat, the vehicles had been widely hailed in the Western world as a likely game changer that would provide a decisive advantage on the frontlines. The effective wiping out of the Abrams fleet provided by the United States has raised serious questions regarding the longevity of the 49 further vehicles that are expected to soon begin deliveries.

Unlike the newly built Abrams tanks previously transferred by the United States, the 49 additional tanks from Australia have already seen decades of service and are considered throughly worn out, which is expected to significantly reduce their availability rates and increase maintenance requirements. Speaking to ABC News, one informed American source with inside knowledge of the transfer warned on this basis that the Ukrainian Army would find the vehicles “difficult to sustain.” Doubts have been widely raised regarding the vehicles’ utility, with one unnamed defence official speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation having highlighted their demonstrated vulnerability in particular, stating: “We are starting to doubt if the Ukrainians actually want these vehicles — the tank roof is the weakest point of the Abrams and this is a drone war.” Most of the Abrams tanks filmed being successfully targeted were hit by guided artillery or by single use ‘kamikaze’ drones, although one was confirmed to have been destroyed by a Russian T-72B3 tank.

Ukrainian personnel have highlighted dissatisfaction with the Abrams on multiple occasions, with factors cited including technical issues, such as vulnerability of electronic components to condensation, as well as the vehicles’ vulnerability in combat. As the heaviest tank class in the world, and one which uses a particularly complex gas turbine engine, maintenance needs are far higher than those of the T-72s and T-64s that form the backbone of the Ukrainian fleet. It remains uncertain to what extent Australian aid will address the shortages of high explosive rounds for the tank’s 120mm gun, which have also been a major issue for Ukrainian units. Despite its many shortcomings, the provision of the Abrams tank provides the Ukrainian Army with a tank that is much more capable than many of the lower end vehicles in its inventory such as the German Leopard 1 and Leopard 2A4, which were also delivered second hand after decades of use and have suffered from numerous deficiencies. The diminishing ability of countries in the Western world to deliver T-72 tanks, and their total inability to supply T-64 or T-80 tanks, has made the delivery of Western standard tanks like the Abrams and Leopard 2 effectively the only means of replenishing Ukrainian losses.

Should the new Abrams tanks see significant frontline deployments, it is likely that they will suffer similarly high attrition rates to the previous 31 vehicles. The fast growing pressure on Ukrainian forces on the frontlines raises a significant possibility that the tanks will be committed to frontline operations much more quickly after delivery than was the case for the previous vehicles. Should Russian-Ukrainian hostilities continue into the second half of 2026 and beyond, and should current rates armour losses continue, Western countries will face growing pressure to significantly increase supplies of NATO standard tank classes, which could lead the United States to consider delivering further Abrams tanks as aid. Although Russia has been able to bring thousands of Soviet-built main battle tanks out of storage to replenish its own significant losses, the country has also approximately tripled production of the T-90 tank since early 2022, with output set to further increase considerably, while the more expensive T-80 is also brought back into production.