Kyiv’s battle tank line-up is about to look very different after the US and Germany this week finally gave approval to send highly sought-after heavy Western weapons to Ukraine.
Berlin bowed to intense international pressure and announced it would send 14 of its Leopard 2 A6 tanks to the battlefield and also approved shipments by allied European states.
Washington then pledged to send 31 American-made M1 Abrams to Ukraine, ending months of refusal.
Both offers come soon after Britain committed 14 Challenger 2 tanks to the war effort.
Tanks provide a level of direct firepower, mobility and protection for the Ukrainian land forces that no other system, such as artillery, infantry, helicopters or drones, can.
The new array of powerful weapons is expected to breathe new momentum into Ukraine’s fight and help it claw back ground that has fallen to Russia.
Kyiv has called…
