Dozens of Abrams tanks that Australia promised Ukraine last year will be shipped

Australia has received the first of its 75 new M1A2 tanks in recent weeks, which will eventually replace the army's fleet of 59 older M1A1 vehicles that were never used in combat and were planned to be given to Ukraine, writes radiosvoboda.org.

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According to the ABC, Australia's transfer of its outdated Abrams tanks to a "third country" required permission from the US under its International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), despite Washington sending 31 of its own M1A1 tanks to Ukraine last year.

As the Australian M1A1s reach the end of their service life, a small number will require repair work before delivery to Europe, or they can simply be quickly shipped to Ukraine and used as spare parts or for other purposes.

Ukraine's Ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko welcomed the transfer of the Abrams tanks, calling the move a "significant contribution."

Dozens of soon-to-be-replaced Australian Abrams tanks will be sent to Ukraine as part of a $245 million military support package, more than a year after Kyiv first expressed interest in its aging M1A1 fleet and months after Australia rejected a request to transfer its Taipan helicopters.

After the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Australian authorities condemned the actions of the Russian authorities and imposed sanctions against the Russian Federation. The restrictions apply to hundreds of Russian citizens and companies.

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