Australian tanks enter the fight just as Ukraine launches a decisive push in northern Pokrovsk - RFU News

[TexasTowelie]

Today, there are important updates from the Pokrovsk direction.

Here, great logistics and on-the-road preparations allowed Ukrainians to avoid any delay and start using the devastating firepower of newly delivered Australian tanks immediately. The Abrams are among Ukraine’s top tanks in service, and they arrived just in time, as Ukraine’s defense of northern Pokrovsk received one of the biggest boosts possible to counter the nonstop Russian assaults.

Australia has recently completed the delivery of all 49 Abrams main battle tanks to Ukraine, marking one of the most significant recent reinforcements of Ukraine’s armored forces. The first 37 tanks arrived earlier in the summer, while the final 12 have now reached their destination after a complex, globe-spanning logistical operation. Australian Army crews escorted the vehicles by sea to Europe, with five servicemen spending 55 days aboard a cargo vessel to ensure the tanks arrived intact. Once in Poland, the Abrams were transferred to a secure facility, where weapons systems, optics, engines, and mobility components were thoroughly checked and prepared for immediate combat use, ensuring this was not an aid for the future but a delivery meant for rapid battlefield integration.

The Abrams did not wait long to find their place at the front, as Ukrainian tank crews had already been trained and assigned, several of the vehicles embarked for frontline units, including the Skala Assault Regiment operating at Pokrovsk.

The Australian Abrams entered the fight during a critical phase of the battle for Pokrovsk, where Ukrainian forces are conducting counterattacks to keep Russian troops south of the railway line and prevent them from breaking out, which would cut off withdrawal operations from Myrnohrad. The Ukrainian operation was carefully structured, with Abrams tanks moving forward alongside infantry fighting vehicles, acting as both shield and hammer. The primary task of the tanks was to suppress Russian firing points with their main cannons, draw enemy drone attention, and create corridors for the Ukrainian BMPs to advance. Under the Abrams’ cover, the BMP’s pushed toward the outskirts of Pokrovsk, dismounted assault troops, and secured key positions that had previously been under heavy Russian pressure.

The presence of Abrams tanks changed the tactical balance, forcing Russians to react to the heavily armored targets rather than focusing exclusively on infantry and lighter vehicles. This bought Ukrainian assault teams crucial minutes to entrench and stabilize the line, securing the vital industrial district before Russians could gain a foothold. During the operation, one Abrams was damaged by Russian drones. Despite several later attempts to detonate it with FPV drones, the Russians only managed to inflict fire damage to it, which can potentially result in the evacuation of the vehicle at a later stage under the cover of fog. Crucially, the crew survived and withdrew safely, as confirmed by the footage of the open hatches of the tank, preserving trained personnel.

This engagement fits into the broader picture of the Pokrovsk–Myrnohrad sector, with Russian forces continuing to press forward with repeated assaults and infiltration attempts, while Ukrainian units respond with layered defenses and local counterattacks. On some days, Ukrainian officials report stopping more than 30 Russian attacks in this sector alone. Despite these Russian efforts and the persistent claims of full control over Pokrovsk, Ukrainian troops continue to hold the northern districts, disrupting enemy movements with drones, artillery, and now renewed armored support.

This forced the Russian command to keep their attention split between Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, as multiple Russian units attempted to gain a foothold in the northern part of the town. Their efforts have so far failed to produce decisive breakthroughs, largely due to urban terrain, constant Ukrainian drone surveillance, and heavy losses. Ukrainian reinforcements, including rapidly deployed special forces, have already significantly salvaged the situation, even as logistics remain under pressure, as moments to withdraw are not found, but actively created.

Overall, the arrival of the Australian Abrams tanks at this precise moment carries weight beyond their numbers. They entered combat just as Ukraine launched counterattacks to prevent northern Pokrovsk from falling and to blunt Russian narratives of inevitable victory...