Russian-installed officials claim Moscow’s forces destroy first U.S.-supplied Abrams tank in Ukraine

(Reuters) – Russian-installed officials said on Monday that Moscow’s forces had for the first time destroyed a U.S.-supplied Abrams tank in Ukraine, a battlefield claim that drew approving comment from the Kremlin.

Reuters could not immediately verify a video published on social media that purported to show an Abrams on fire.

“From the very beginning, our soldiers said that these tanks would burn just like others,” state news agency RIA quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying. He was referring to previous instances where Russia says it has destroyed Western weaponry in Ukraine.

The United States began supplying the Abrams to Ukrainian forces last September.