The United States is preparing to provide depleted uranium rounds to Ukraine for Abrams tanks being shipped to the country to help fight off the ongoing Russian invasion.
The White House previously agreed to provide Ukraine with 31 refurbished M1A1 Abrams tanks, which are expected to be delivered in the fall. U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal on Monday that the Biden administration is expected to send the rounds after weeks of internal debates over how best to arm the tanks.
The Pentagon reportedly pushed for shipping depleted uranium rounds that the U.S. Army utilizes and are effective against Russian armor.
"The projectile hits like a freight train," said Rand Corporation defense analyst Scott Boston, a former Army artillery officer. "It is very long and very dense. So it puts a great deal of kinetic energy on a specific point on an enemy armor array."
Boston added: "Tank-on-tank fighting hasn't seemed to be very common in this war. But to the extent that it happens, we'd like the Ukrainians to win at it."
The discussions come as Ukraine launches its long-awaited counteroffensive against Russia, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signaled had begun on Saturday.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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