Over the past week, attention has been focused on the advances made by the Russian Armed Forces in the Kursk region. As intense fighting continues, other images show the Ukrainian retreat and the abandonment of equipment, which has been captured by Russian Ground Forces. Notably, according to widely circulated videos, a Ukrainian M1A1 SA tank has been captured in an almost intact condition. While this is not the first such unit to fall into Russian hands, it serves as evidence of the progress made in recent days and the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from various sectors of the front.
Like many other tank models provided by Western allies to Ukraine, the M1A1 SA units transferred by the United States have not escaped unscathed from the attrition of combat. The extensive use of drones, loitering munitions, minefields, and artillery strikes has highlighted the limitations of armored combat vehicles throughout more than three years of conflict.
By early September last year, various sources indicated that half of the fleet of 31 units transferred by the U.S. had been lost in combat operations, including tanks that were damaged, completely or partially destroyed, as well as those captured by Russian Ground Forces.
The capture of U.S.-origin M1A1 Abrams tanks has been leveraged by the Kremlin for various purposes. Firstly, it has played a propagandistic role, as these tanks have become key attractions at exhibitions showcasing captured Ukrainian equipment in Moscow. Secondly, reports indicate that several units have been transported to the city of Nizhny Tagil, home to Uralvagonzavod, Russia’s largest tank manufacturing plant.
This event, recorded late last year, appears to be aimed at subjecting the captured unit to tests and evaluations by specialists at the plant to analyze its specific characteristics. This same fate has been shared by other Western tank models, such as the Leopard 2A6, which was also sent to Uralvagonzavod and arrived at its facilities in October of last year.
Returning to the most recent events, various videos circulating on social media show the capture of an M1A1 SA Abrams tank in the Kursk region, near the town of Malaya Loknya.
As seen in the footage, the tank appears undamaged, suggesting that it may have been abandoned by its crew. Additionally, the videos showing it being towed by a recovery vehicle reveal the modifications and equipment that have become mandatory for the Ukrainian Abrams fleet, such as Kontakt reactive armor kits and the M-19 ARAT (Abrams Reactive Armor Tile) package.
For the Ukrainian Armed Forces, this represents the loss of one of their most capable main battle tanks, although not necessarily in terms of numbers, which continue to decline. In this regard, it is worth noting that the fleet will soon be replenished with lost units through the confirmed transfer of a batch of M1A1 tanks from the Australian Army, which is replacing them with the more advanced M1A2 SEPv3.
*Cover photo used for illustration purposes.
