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Media: US prolongs Abrams tank training for Ukrainian soldiers

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Media: US prolongs Abrams tank training for Ukrainian soldiers
An M1A1 Abrams main battle tank fires during Exercise Chong Ju at the Puckapunyal Military Area on May 09, 2019, in Seymour, Australia. (Photo credit: Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

At Ukraine's request, the Pentagon had decided to prolong the training of Ukrainian soldiers on Abrams tanks, the Voice of America reported on Sept. 8, citing U.S. Army Europe and Africa Command's spokesperson Martin O'Donnell.

Almost 200 Ukrainian military personnel will continue to improve their skills in operating and maintaining the vehicles for a few more weeks until the promised batch of 31 Abrams M1A1 is refitted and ready to be delivered, O'Donnell said.

The main part of the courses, taking place on a U.S. base in Germany, concluded in August.

U.S. President Joe Biden announced the decision to send 31 M1 Abrams tanks, a force equivalent to one Ukrainian battalion, to Ukraine in January, just as other Western partners pledged their own advanced armor such as Leopard 2 or Challenger 2 tanks.

The Abrams tanks are expected to arrive this fall. Politico reported that the first 10 vehicles are scheduled to be delivered in mid-September.

What will it take for Ukraine to maintain and operate the M1 Abrams?
The Ukrainian military has passed another milestone by starting to master the M1 Abrams, the top-notch main battle tank to be provided by the U.S. According to the Pentagon, some 400 Ukrainians are training for the job at U.S. Army bases in Germany. After many months of deliberations
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Martin Fornusek

Senior News Editor

Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.

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