Russia says US Abrams tanks will “burn” in Ukraine, stressing that these tanks and ATACMS long-range missiles will not help Kiev to change the situation on the battlefield.
Washington has reportedly pledged to provide Kiev with Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) long-range missiles as the ex-Soviet republic took delivery of an initial batch of US-made Abrams tanks on Monday.
While ATACMS missiles will be an important boost to Ukraine’s capacity to target supply lines, air bases and rail networks in Russian-occupied territory, the jet-powered tanks are expected to greatly strengthen the country’s military might on the ground.
However, the Kremlin on Tuesday stressed that these advanced arms would not help Kiev change the course of the ongoing war.
“All this can in no way affect the essence of the SVO and its outcome. There is no panacea and no one type of weapon that can change the balance of power on the battlefield,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov at a press conference, using an acronym for what Moscow calls its special military operation in Ukraine.
He stressed that the Russian armed forces were constantly adapting to the use of new types of weapons in the war.
“Abrams tanks are serious weapons, but remember what the president [Vladimir Putin] said about other tanks made in another country,” Peskov added, referring to other Western tanks supplied to Kiev, which include German-made Leopards and British Challengers.
“Well, these (Abrams) too will burn,” the Kremlin spokesman further said.
The US-led Western allies began flooding Kiev with weapons and ammunition shortly after Russia launched its “special military operation” in the country in February 2022.
Moscow has repeatedly warned world leaders against the continued supply of weapons and munitions to Ukraine, pointing out that such measures will not stop Russian troops from defending its objectives and that arming Kiev would only prolong the war.
“The Americans continue to increase their… direct involvement in this conflict, but of course, every time our military improves its skills and technical capabilities to counter these missiles,” Peskov further noted.
The administration of US President Joe Biden has so far spent more than $100 billion on the war in Ukraine, according to the White House.
