Ukraine to receive batch of decommissioned tanks

During a meeting in Rome, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after he confirmed that a fleet of used M1A1 vehicles is on its way.

According to ABC, the process of loading the first of 49 vehicles onto a cargo ship began recently, but the government will not discuss their current location or expected arrival date in Europe due to security concerns.

Before the delivery process could begin, Australia had to wait for Washington's approval, which was granted despite U.S. officials remaining non-publicly unhappy about it.

“Last year, even before Donald Trump returned to the presidency, we warned the Australians that sending these Abrams tanks would be complicated and once they finally hit the battlefield, it would be difficult for the Ukrainians to support them,” one U.S. official said.

An Australian Defense Department official said there were some concerns that sending large tanks to Ukraine was not the best way to provide military assistance to the war-torn country.

"We are beginning to question whether the Ukrainians really want these vehicles. The tank roof is the Abrams' weakest point, and this is drone warfare," the official said.

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles declined to say whether U.S. officials had raised any concerns about the donation.

"We are working very closely with Ukraine, very closely with the United States to get the tanks on their way. The first tranche has been on the way for some time, but I'm not going to go into specific details," he said.

Photo: Australian Defense Force.