US ramps up delivery of Abrams tanks to Ukraine

Russian and Ukrainian forces have been largely in a stalemate, trading small slices of land over the winter. The fiercest battles have been in the eastern Donetsk region, where Russia is struggling to encircle the city of Bakhmut in the face of dogged Ukrainian defence. But both sides are expected to launch more intensive offensives in the spring.

Ukrainian leaders have persistently pressed for the Abrams, which first deployed to war in 1991 and has thick armour, a 120 mm main gun, armour-piercing capabilities and advanced targeting systems. It runs on thick tracked wheels and has a 1,500-horsepower turbine engine with a top speed of about 42 miles per hour (68 kilometres per hour).

The behemoths will likely be used, in conjunction with infantry and infantry fighting vehicles, in an attempt to break through Russian lines and press a counteroffensive like those seen in Kharkiv and Kherson last year.

As Western aid to Ukraine continues, rhetoric from Russia has become increasingly provocative. In response to the UK providing Kyiv with ammunition containing depleted uranium, Russia warned of nuclear war.

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