WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd March, 2023) The United States will provide Ukraine with the M1A1 variant of the Abrams tank instead of the M1A2 variant as initially planned in order to expedite delivery of the platform to this fall, Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder said on Tuesday.
"After further study and analysis... the Defense Department, in close coordination with Ukraine, has made the decision to provide the M1A1 variant of the Abrams tank, which will enable us to significantly expedite delivery timelines and deliver this important capability to Ukraine by the fall of this year," Ryder said during a press briefing.
The M1A2 variant would have taken more than a year to deliver, Ryder added.
The US will ensure that Ukrainian troops receive training on the tanks in time for their delivery, Ryder also said.
The Biden administration's decision to provide Abrams tanks to Ukraine represents an "extremely destructive step" that may escalate the conflict in Ukraine, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told Sputnik earlier this year.
