Ukraine Gifts Russian T-90 Tank To U.S., Bound For Maryland's Aberdeen Proving Ground

ABERDEEN - A tank full of thanks is on its way from Ukraine to Maryland. In an expression of gratitude towards the United States, Ukrainian officials have gifted a Russian T-90 tank to Aberdeen Proving Ground.

Igor Novikov, a former advisor to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, signaled the gift's transit in an April 15 tweet, sharing an image of the tank headed to Maryland.

The tank, transported by truck, made a surprise appearance in Louisiana when a breakdown led to a temporary roadside display. This unexpected spectacle quickly gained attention on social media before being reported by The War Zone, a military news outlet.

According to War Zone, the shipping route was revealed on a label on the tank's main gun, tracing its path from Gdynia, Poland, to Beaumont, Texas, with the final destination being Aberdeen Proving Ground, home to the U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center.

Department of Defense spokesperson, Sue Gough, confirmed to Baltimore Fishbowl that the tank was indeed bound for Aberdeen when the truck transporting it faced mechanical issues.

"I can confirm that a T-90 tank was being transported to Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland, when the truck transporting it suffered a mechanical issue. That issue has been fixed, and the item is secure. The tank's explosive reactive armor was inert; it was not armed or carrying any dangerous material and at no point posed a risk to the public. This is part of our ongoing commitment to provide Ukraine with the capabilities it needs to counter Russian aggression. For security reasons, we will not comment further on this matter," Gough told the Fishbowl.

APG is one of the country's most extensive and best-equipped testing facilities, signaling that the tank is more than a gift. The Baltimore Sun spoke to Michael E. O'Hanlon, a senior fellow and director of research in Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution, who told the news service that the tank will likely be used for testing.

"All of that information would be very tactically useful if you were figuring out what to send the Ukrainians and also how to train the Ukrainians on the use of proper anti-armor weapons," O'Hanlon told The Sun.

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