President Joe Biden confirmed during a visit to Hebron, Kentucky, that the U.S. was considering sending Bradley Fighting Vehicles to Ukraine, after he was asked whether it was a possibility.
Answering with a simple “yes,” Biden did not offer any further information on a possible timescale nor on how many of the armored vehicles could be supplied to Ukrainian forces.
The U.S. Army has been using Bradleys for decades, and the White House was mulling sending Kyiv the combat vehicle ahead of the new year, Bloomberg reported on December 29.
At the time, anonymous sources said a decision was still unconfirmed.
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Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s head of military intelligence, said in an interview with ABC News that Kyiv was “waiting for” the Bradleys to be sent.
He was then quoted in a press release published by the Ukrainian government as saying that the delivery of the armored vehicles would “significantly improve the combat ability of our units” and he had “high hopes” for them.
Switching from English to Ukrainian in the interview to appeal to U.S. citizens, he said it “will not take too long now, and every taxpayer in the U.S. will be able to see where every cent went. We will change this world together.”
On Wednesday, the French government announced it would be sending armored combat vehicles to Ukraine.
President Emmanuel Macron‘s office said France would supply Kyiv with AMX-10 RC light armored fighting vehicles, with one official saying it would be the “first time that Western-made armored vehicles are being delivered in support of the Ukrainian army.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the Élysée Palace following a phone call with Macron, writing on Twitter that he was grateful “for the decision to transfer light tanks and Bastion APCs to Ukraine, as well as for intensifying work with partners in the same direction.”
Retd. Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, who has commanded U.K. and NATO chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense (CBRN) forces, told Newsweek sending armored vehicles like Bradleys “would certainly help” the Ukrainians, notably in Crimea.
He suggested it could be a move that escalates the conflict, but argued Russia’s scope for further escalation was limited.
What are Bradley Fighting Vehicles?
Bradley Fighting Vehicles are capable of carrying several military personnel and are equipped with a powerful gun.
However, they are smaller than the Abrams tanks the U.S. has so far declined to send to Ukraine.
Bradleys are hailed as an “integral part of the U.S. Army’s Armored Brigade Combat Team” by BAE Systems, which produces the armored vehicles.
According to the manufacturers, Bradleys possess “outstanding survivability, mobility and lethality.”
Former White House defense analyst Mark Cancian told Bloomberg in December that Bradleys “would provide a major increase in ground combat capability because it is, in effect, a light tank.”
He argued that the U.S. had enough Bradleys to be able to supply Ukraine without any issues, noting that some vehicles would be older and require upgrades.
Bradleys would nonetheless be an asset to the Ukrainians, boasting 25 mm guns and TOW anti-tank missiles, he continued.
On December 21, the Department of Defense announced that the U.S. would send a further $1.85 billion to Ukraine in an aid package including a Patriot air defense system and munitions.