Kiev, 25 September 2023 (dpa/MIA) - The first US Abrams tanks have arrived in Ukraine and are already being prepared for deployment, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram on Monday.

In total, the United States had announced the handover of 31 battle tanks of the type to Ukraine.

Zelensky did not provide details on the number of US tanks already in the country. He thanked the allies for their arms assistance. The US is considered Kiev's most important military supporter.

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, US military aid to Ukraine has amounted to $43.9 billion, according to government figures.

Most recently, weapons and equipment worth $128 million were authorized from US military stocks.

Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles with a range of up to 300 kilometres, long requested by Kiev, were not included.

Photo: MIA archive