Australia has answered Ukraine’s pleas for military hardware by agreeing to donate most of its retired M1 Abrams tanks, with Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy confirming the decision aimed at supporting Ukraine in ending the conflict on its own terms.
Kiev is set to receive 49 tanks out of the 59 retired by Canberra in July, as Australia looks to replace its older M1A1 models with newer M1A2 versions. The move comes after Ukraine’s Ambassador to Australia, Vasily Myroshnychenko, had been advocating for the tanks since their retirement announcement.
While some of the tanks will need repairs before being shipped, others will be used for spare parts. The donation follows Western deliveries of military equipment to Ukraine, including Challenger 2 vehicles from the UK and stripped-down Abrams models from the US, during which some tanks were reportedly destroyed in combat.
Despite concerns about the effectiveness of Western tanks against drones and guided artillery rounds, the donations signal continued support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, although Moscow has warned against further arms supplies that could prolong the fighting without altering the outcome.