It is unclear how the Skala regiment will employ the tanks, but the unit is known for taking the fight to the Russians.

The Ukrainian Army’s 425th Assault Regiment “Skala,” famed for its success in the 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive, has become the second unit in Ukraine’s armed forces to operate the American-made M1 Abrams main battle tank (MBT). After months of delays, the regiment finally received the first of the tanks earlier this month.

The unit confirmed the arrival of the tanks in a Facebook post on Thursday.

Until this month, the M1 Abrams was only operated by the 47th Mechanized Brigade “Magura.” However, it is unclear how many of the 31 provided by the United States remain in active service in the two years since they were first supplied to Kyiv. It is believed that as many as 27 have been destroyed or captured as of this July.

Australia Donated Its Old M1 Abrams Tanks to Ukraine

The new batch of tanks is part of the 49 that Australia pledged to Ukraine last year. Canberra agreed to send older M1A1 models as it began to receive the new M1A2 Abrams equipped with the Systems Enhanced Package Version 3 (SEPv3) from the United States.

The tanks were initially delayed due to issues with the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), despite the Biden Administration having previously provided Kyiv with the 31 M1 Abrams MBTs. The problem was exacerbated as the United States shut down a logistics facility to service the tanks in Poland. Fortunately for Ukraine, the tanks eventually arrived from Australia, underwent servicing, and are now being put into service with the 425th Assault Regiment.

Ukraine’s New M1 Abrams Tanks Have Received Some Upgrades

According to a report from The War Zone, the Skala regiment is deployed to the Pokrovsk region of eastern Ukraine, which has become the epicenter of the war and has seen the heaviest fighting of the past year.

The new batch of formerly Australian tanks may fare better than the American-supplied tanks from two years ago. The armored vehicles have received the M1A1 AIM SA upgrade, which includes a digital fire control system, thermal imaging capabilities, and an enhanced communications suite. The MBT’s gas turbine engines were also reconfigured, allowing for the use of standard diesel fuel rather than the JP-8 aviation kerosene typically employed by the US military.

The tanks were also updated with an armor package that does not contain depleted uranium. There is speculation that the tanks could also receive anti-drone protection such as cage or grid systems, while it is likely they will receive electronic warfare (EW) equipment to counter drones. Many of the more than two dozen Abrams that have already been destroyed during the conflict were taken out by drones, making anti-drone countermeasures a necessity.

That may be just the tip of the iceberg for the issues Kyiv continues to face when it comes to operating its tanks.

“A host of issues, ranging from Ukraine’s lack of air and artillery support and lack of technical and mechanical expertise to manpower and equipment shortfalls, have contributed to the Abrams’ ineffectiveness on the front lines,” 

While it is unclear how the Skala regiment will employ the tanks, the unit is known for taking the fight to the Russians. It was previously the first to receive the American-made M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, and is also reported to operate the M113 tracked armored personnel carrier (APC) and the M108 155mm self-propelled tracked howitzer. The hard-fighting assault unit also employed a motorcycle company during assaults on the Kremlin’s positions on the frontlines.