US to retain Abrams tanks in 1st delivery of armored vehicles to Kiev

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The White House continues to retain Abrams tanks from Ukraine, as the US and its allies are ready to deliver their first batch of Western armored vehicles in response to Kiev's pleas for advanced weaponry, The Washington Post reported, citing an unnamed official.

An Abrams tank weighs 55 tons and its engine consumes gas very quickly, according to the official, who added that it also breaks down easily and a particular expertise is needed for its maintenance.

Read: Poland inks deal with US to buy more M1A1 Abrams tanks

On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden confirmed that the White House was considering the 28-tonne Bradley vehicle, which can accommodate up to nine soldiers and is equipped with heavy armor and various guns. As the US has thousands of Bradleys in stock, sending some to Kiev would not be a problem in terms of domestic inventory.

The planned delivery comes after the White House said it would send to Ukraine its most sophisticated air defense weapon, the Patriot missile battery, to help defend against Russian drones and missiles.

The Patriot is a US-made air defense missile system that shoots down aircraft or missiles. This comes as Russia is showing an uptick in aerial attacks on Ukraine, especially using UAVs.

A week ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked US President Joe Biden during the meeting that took place between the two counterparts in Washington, DC, for ATACMS missiles once again, Politico reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. However, the Ukrainian leader's attempts were fruitless.

The ATACMS have a range of 300 km in light of a Russian onslaught on Ukrainian, which has seen Moscow bolstering its positions.

Zelensky's request came as the Russian forces have learned to adjust their positions in such a way that the US-supplied HIMARS missiles, which have a range just short of 130 km, have been rendered ineffective.

In December, two United States officials and a senior administration official revealed that Pentagon is finalizing plans to send the Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine, which could be announced as soon as this week, CNN reported.

For months, the Kiev regime has been calling on Washington to send the highly effective at intercepting ballistic and cruise missiles.

In late November, Pentagon Press Secretary Brigadaire General Pat Ryder said the US has no plans "to provide Patriot batteries to Ukraine but again, we’ll continue to have those discussions." The statement came on the same day that another senior Defense Department official stated that the United States is considering sending Patriot surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine.

Also in December, Politico reported on Ukrainian troops who might soon start training in the United States as the Pentagon mulls training Ukrainians on the Patriot defense system at a military base on US soil.