The Australian Armed Forces have granted ABC exclusive access to a secret operation to supply M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. These tanks are already in Poland, but journalists have been forbidden to disclose their exact location. This is reported by UNN with reference to ABC.
Details
Colonel James Smith, commander of Operation Kudu, Australia's commitment to training Ukraine's military, said in an interview that secrecy is necessary to ensure the tanks reach their destination safely.
We will not do anything that could jeopardize the security of the Armed Forces' operations. We are trying to ensure maximum security for the Ukrainians
Dozens of 60-ton tanks were transported halfway across the world on a cargo ship: five Australian army servicemen spent 55 days at sea, accompanying the armored vehicles to the Northern Hemisphere. They checked the cargo every six hours and also met four crew members of the ship who were Ukrainians. The latter told the Australians about their country and expressed their views on how they see the end of the war.
Additionally
This delivery of military equipment to Ukraine took place after the Australian government announced an additional 95 million dollars for the country's defense.
This was the first significant increase in military aid to Kyiv from Australia in more than a year. Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, Canberra has allocated 1.7 billion dollars for Ukraine's defense.
According to the Kiel Institute - an independent non-profit research organization that analyzes global economic issues - Australia ranked 35th among 41 countries in terms of financial and military aid to Ukraine as a percentage of GDP.
The M1A1 Abrams tanks that were sent to Ukraine were manufactured in the USA and sent to Australia almost 20 years ago.