President Biden said Wednesday that the United States is considering sending Kyiv Bradley fighting vehicles as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues to advocate for Western tanks to help his forces fighting on the eastern front.
When asked by reporters in Kentucky if he would consider sending the tracked vehicles to Ukraine, Biden answered with a simple “Yes.”
The president did not provide further details on when or how many vehicles could be sent to Ukraine.
The Bradley Fighting Vehicle, while not technically a tank, is a track-driven armored vehicle equipped with a free-spinning turret and has mounted firepower.
ZELENSKYY WARNS RUSSIA ‘WILL THROW AWAY EVERYTHING IT HAS’ IN AN ATTEMPT TO TURN AROUND THE WAR
A US Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) fires an AGM-114 Hellfire during a heavy weapons military exercise with Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Special Operations troops at Deir Ezzor field in northeastern Syria. Syria, on March 25, 2022.
(Photo by DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images)
It is also capable of carrying more infantry, weapons and communications than tanks and can maneuver quickly and effectively on the battlefield.
Although the gun of the Bradley is significantly smaller than that of the US M1 Abrams tank, which has a 120mm gun instead of a 25mm gun, roughly a difference in firing range of 82,000 ft. vs. 22,000 feet.
Although the US has used Bradley fighting vehicles in Middle Eastern war zones, it’s unclear whether Zelenskyy would rate the vehicle as sufficient given its lighter armor and smaller gun.
SEYMOUR, AUSTRALIA – MAY 9: An M1A1 Abrams main battle tank fires up during exercise Chong Ju at the Puckapunyal military area on May 9, 2019 in Seymour, Australia.
(Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
In an overnight speech, the Ukrainian president once again renewed his calls for Western tanks to help his troops in areas like Donetsk, where the brutal ground war continues.
Fighting continues in other areas as well, including Lugansk, where, according to its regional governor, Ukrainian troops are making slow, incremental advances “step by step”, although he warned that these advances were “not happening fast”, Reuters first reported. .
The heaviest fighting is still taking place around the town of Bakhmut, which lies on a Russian supply chain route.
RUSSIA BLAME BANNED USE OF CELLPHONES FOR NEW YEAR’S STRIKE AT MILITARY BARRACKS AS DEATH TOLL RISES
Although Russia would gain relatively little from capturing the devastated city that has been battered for months, it could help Russia gain a stronger position in the area and allow it to secure neighboring cities.
The battlefields in the Donetsk region look like something out of a World War I reenactment with trench warfare and blackened landscapes decimated by constant shelling.
The fighting in Bakhmut has been described as a “meat grinder” and on Thursday Ukrainian defense officials claimed some 800 Russian soldiers were killed in a 24-hour period, mainly in the highly contested region.
Fox News Digital could not independently verify Wednesday’s death toll in Ukraine.
US Bradley Fighting Vehicles (BFV) patrol in the Suwaydiyah oil fields in Syria’s northeastern Hasakah province on February 13, 2021.
(Photo by DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images)
“There is no rational reason why Ukraine has not received Western-type tanks yet,” Zelenskyy said in his late-night speech. “We must end Russian aggression exactly this year and not postpone any defensive capabilities that can hasten the defeat of the terrorist state.
“Modern Western armored vehicles, Western-type tanks are just one of these key capabilities,” he added.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
France became the first Western nation to commit to sending tanks to Ukraine, although it is unclear when Kyiv is expected to receive the French-made AMX-10 RC light tanks.
The United States has already provided Ukraine with 2,000 combat vehicles, including 477 mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles and more than 1,200 Humvees.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
