JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine pulls U.S.-provided Abrams tanks from the front lines over Russian drone threats” – AP
“Ukraine [reportedly] has sidelined U.S.-provided Abrams M1A1 battle tanks for now … in part because Russian drone warfare has made it too difficult for them to operate without detection or coming under attack …. The U.S. agreed to send 31 Abrams to Ukraine in January 2023 after an aggressive monthslong campaign by Kyiv arguing that the tanks … cost[ing] about $10 million apiece, were vital to its ability to breach Russian lines. … [T]he battlefield has changed substantially … notably by the ubiquitous use of Russian surveillance drones and hunter-killer drones … ma[king] it more difficult … to protect the tanks when they are quickly detected and hunted by Russian drones or rounds. Five of the 31 tanks have already been lost ….”