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- Western tanks will give Ukraine new capabilities, although few are already up and running in the country.
- Russia’s tank force is significantly bigger than Ukraine’s, but has failed to impress Western military analysts.
- If Kyiv can pull off effective combined arms operations with these tanks, they represent a formidable challenge for an exhausted Russian military.
estern tanks in Ukrainian hands promise to be powerful weapons against a tired Russian force, experts say—but it will depend on Kyiv making the best use of them.
Ukraine’s counteroffensive preparations have hinged on Western supplies, including its new NATO-standard main battle tanks. After months of hesitation, the U.K., the U.S., Germany and other European nations pledged in January to send various types to Ukraine this year.
On the opposing side, Russian tank forces have been greatly depleted by nearly 16 months of fighting, despite Moscow’s Defense Ministry praising the apparent deployment of brand-new battle tanks to the war effort.
It was against this backdrop that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this month that although Ukraine was largely ready to launch a concerted push against the enemy, “in terms of equipment, not everything has arrived yet.”