U.S. President Joe Biden announced at a press conference on Sept. 21 that the first tranche of U.S. Abrams tanks will be delivered to Ukraine next week.

The shipment of tanks will be part of a larger package that includes ammunition, anti-tank weapons, and artillery. Biden also added that the U.S. is focused on “strengthening Ukraine’s air defense capabilities."

His comments occurred during a bilateral meeting with President Volodomyr Zelensky, who was traveling to the U.S., his second visit there since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

The decision to deliver 31 Abrams tanks was first announced in January 2022, and the first batch of 10 was approved on Aug. 7.

The tanks, which offer greater mobility and firepower than Soviet battle tanks, are expected to support Ukraine's defensive and offensive efforts.

The U.S. made Abrams tanks will join the ranks of other modern battle tanks sent by Ukraine’s allies, including the Challenger from the U.K. and the German-made Leopard tanks.

New brigade bears heavy brunt of Russia’s onslaught in Kharkiv Oblast

Editor’s Note: Soldiers in this story are stationed on the front and are identified only by their first name due to the nature of the information they are sharing. KHARKIV OBLAST – Fighting throughout Ukraine is grueling, even for hardened veterans. For inexperienced troops recently plucked from ci…

The Kyiv IndependentIgor Kossov