For the first time since the August 6th Kursk incursion, Russian forces claim they have destroyed a US-made Abrams tank used by the Ukrainian army on Russian territory.
TASS cited a top-ranking military commander, Major General Apty Alaudinov, to say Thursday that an Abrams tank was destroyed "today". Starting a week ago Sky News began reporting on the destruction of UK-supplied Challenger II main battle tanks during the same offensive.
"Everything is very good for us on the frontline so far and everything is under control. The enemy has attempted no active combat operations today while we have destroyed about ten items of equipment, including pickup trucks and also an Abrams tank today," the Russian general said.
"In addition, we have eliminated several artillery guns of various caliber and also several command posts. That is why, the situation is very good for us in our frontline sector," he added.
Neither the US nor Ukrainian side have confirmed the loss of an Abrams, and it's not expected that the Pentagon would comment on it even if true.
If confirmed, it would certainly mark a massive escalation of the war, and strongly suggests that French and German tanks are also crossing the border into Russia (or else soon will). Already the Russian side has confirmed that its aerial forces took out Bradley Fighting Vehicles during the Kursk raid, which has been unfolding for more than a week.
The US has been among a few countries which have greenlighted Kiev forces' ability to use Western weapons to strike positions inside Russia, but only those areas from which strikes on Ukraine are launched.
The White House and Western allies have been vocal in supporting the Kursk operation, but the US claims it did not have foreknowledge of the invasion. President Biden on Tuesday told reporters, "I’ve spoken with my staff on a regular basis probably every four or five hours for the last six or eight days."
Various Russian media and independent accounts have claimed to have footage of a US M1 Abrams being disabled or destroyed inside Kursk Oblast...
Biden previously said that "it’s creating a real dilemma for Putin. And we’ve been in direct contact — constant contact with — with the Ukrainians."
But by all accounts Russian forces are still advancing in Ukraine's east, rolling back Ukrainian front lines, amid ongoing severe manpower and artillery shortages for Kiev.
