Russian forces destroyed the first Abrams tank three days after its appearance on the front lines

Russian forces destroyed the first Abrams tank in Ukraine. Initially, it was hit by a kamikaze drone and then the vehicle was finished off with a handheld anti-tank grenade launcher, as reported by Military Watch Magazine.

This occurred in the village of Berdychiv, northwest of Avdiivka, a key city in the Donbas, recently abandoned by the Ukrainian Armed Forces after significant losses. The tank was destroyed just three days after the first confirmed reports of Abrams being deployed to the frontlines on February 23rd. The vehicle presumably spent less than a week, possibly just three days, on the frontlines. Footage from the drone shows the engine compartment and ammunition storage of the destroyed tank.

The models sent to Ukraine and Iraq, as well as those in service in the US Army itself, lack depleted uranium armor. However, it remains unclear whether the destroyed Abrams was indeed the first of its kind to be destroyed in the Donbas. In previously published footage, one of the vehicles is seen on the side of the road. While it cannot be conclusively determined whether it was disabled or simply abandoned, its unusual position in the combat zone has led many to speculate that the tank was disabled in battle.