Ukrainian Assault Troops Up-Armored Their Ex-Australian M-1 Tanks—And Then Squandered One Of Them In A Pointless Attack
Ukraine is probably down to fewer than 60 M-1s
After a grinding yearlong siege, the Russian Center Group of Forces has captured the ruins of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast. The Ukrainian 7th Rapid Reaction Corps and 1st National Guard Corps have pulled back—and established a new defensive line threading through the very northern outskirts of Pokrovsk toward neighboring Myrnohrad, which is also mostly under Russian control.
The battle for Pokrovsk is over. Anyone pretending it’s not over is refusing to acknowledge the Russians’ five-to-one troop advantage—and also failing to understand that a mine-, drone- and artillery-first defense on open terrain, as opposed to an infantry-first urban defense, in better for manpower-starved Ukrainian forces.
Especially in Pokrovsk, where the Russians have fairly robust supply lines.
Count the commanders of the Ukrainian 425th Assault Regiment among those denying reality. On Dec. 20, the regiment organized some of its newly delivered ex-Australian M-1 Abrams tanks and upgraded BMP-1TS infantry fighting vehicles for a doomed assault along one of the most heavily droned roads into northern Pokrovsk.
