Kremlin says US Abrams tanks will 'burn' in Ukraine

MOSCOW — The Kremlin said on Tuesday that US Abrams tanks supplied to Ukraine would not change the outcome of its offensive and would "burn", after Kyiv received shipments of the vehicles.

Kyiv announced Monday it had received deliveries of the US Abrams battle tank, boosting its forces as they seek to break through heavily-fortified Russian defensive lines.

"All this can in no way affect the essence of the special military operation, its outcome," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in a briefing.

"There is no panacea, no single weapon that can change the balance of power on the battlefield."

Repeating a talking point the Kremlin has used about Western weapons, he said: "They too will burn."

Ukraine has been asking for more Western weapons, including longer-range missiles, to help break through Russian positions and launch strikes deep within Russian-controlled territory.

Washington had promised to provide 31 Abrams tanks to Kyiv at the start of the year, part of more than $43 billion in security assistance pledged by the United States since the conflict began.

Russia has denounced the successive shipments to Ukraine, arguing they were prolonging the conflict.