Mobility, speed, agility: The French light tanks promised to Ukraine by Paris will probably allow others — especially the Americans — to make a breakthrough against the Russians, the Ukrainian army now considered capable by Westerners. President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement of the shipment of an unspecified number of French-made AMX-10 RC light battle tanks marks a further boost in NATO supplies to Ukraine after months of reluctance for fear of escalating Moscow.
Kyiv’s European allies have supplied Soviet-designed tanks before, but so far no Western-built ones, despite repeated requests from Ukraine. While many observers fear a major Russian attack in the spring, “President Macron’s decision is a new step that brings us closer to victory. Especially if the AMX-10 RC is followed by similar American and German equipment,” the Ukrainian Defense Ministry commented on its Twitter account on Thursday.
The AMX-10 RC, whose production began in the 1980s, was a tank with 105 mm guns weighing almost 25 tons, mounted on wheels and not on tracks.
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