Western experts: Abrams tanks are too heavy for Ukrainian bridges
As noted by the American edition of Newsweek, the NATO tanks promised to Kiev have an impressive weight of 60 tonnes or more, which can become a problem when operating in Ukraine
According to the publication, tanks will be too heavy for the Ukrainian infrastructure, including bridges. Accordingly, they will need to perform certain manoeuvres to reach their destination, and the Russian military intelligence can use this to its benefit.
The source said that all the latest models of tanks that Western allies promise to send to Ukraine are more modern than those used by the Ukrainian military until recently, they are much heavier as well. For example, the Soviet T-72 tank – used by both sides in the conflict – weighs about 45 tonnes, while the American M1A1 Abrams tank can weigh up to 70 tonnes.
Not all Ukrainian bridges will be able to service such heavy loads. Moreover, as the publication reads, the AFU's pontoon-carrying facilities were also developed taking into account Soviet tanks, and certainly not for NATO heavy vehicles.
