WAR MACHINE Heartstopping footage shows US-made £8million M1 Abrams tank blasting Russians on Ukraine frontline for first time

 This is the heart-wrenching moment a US-made M1 Abrams tank blew up the Russians on the Ukrainian border for the first time.

As the war marks its two-year anniversary, Kiev continues its desperate bid to stop Putin's brutal invasion of its territory.

The US has sent 31 upgraded M1 Abrams tanks worth more than £300 million as part of Western support for Ukraine.

The giant tank is widely considered the most powerful ground weapon in the US arsenal.

31 American-made tanks were delivered to Ukraine last autumn – but they were not used in combat until a month ago.

A new video shows the 47th Mechanized Brigade driving an M1 in snowy winter conditions.

In another clip, Abrams tanks can be seen shelling Russian positions to stop them from advancing.

This is the first video to capture the use of the dangerous tanks on the frontline – demonstrating their lethal power.

The M1 Abrams is capable of engaging enemy targets at close range and firing accurately while on the move.

It is equipped with one 120 mm smoothbore tank gun and two machine guns – one on top of a turret that rotates 360 degrees in nine seconds.

The huge tank also has a nuclear-chemical-biological warfare protection system.

The M1 Abrams has secure ammunition storage to avoid explosions, agility and speed over uneven terrain, and effective ventilation.

The Abrams has been in service since the 1980s – initially developed to fight the Soviet Union.

It has been used in combat several times over the years and the Pentagon purchased more than 7,000 tanks.

It was deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 where despite facing 19 attacks it suffered only one wound in action.

But it also has some drawbacks – heavy fuel consumption of the engine, limited range and complex maintenance.

The footage of its incredible use was shared by the 47th Brigade on its Telegram channel.

The caption reads: "And while the Russian occupiers are trying to find out where the Abrams tanks are, the tankers of the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade have been destroying the Russian invaders and their equipment for more than a month"

Ukraine's Defense Ministry thanked its Western partners for arms supplies.

In a Facebook post, he wrote: "Thank you to the partners of the United States for these weapons and in general for supporting Ukraine in its struggle for independence."

It comes a year after President Joe Biden announced the US would send battle tanks to Ukrainian fighters to help "improve their ability to maneuver in open terrain."

But it took a long time for the tanks to be distributed and used on the front lines.

The Pentagon had long been hesitant to field the M1 because of logistical problems and the tank's complex maintenance requirements.

The US move comes a day after a reluctant Germany mounted international pressure to provide its military aid to war-torn Ukraine.

Biden told reporters at the time: "Germany didn't force me to change my mind, we wanted to make sure we were all together."

Bowing to the pleas and calls of President Zelensky, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed to send 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks to Ukraine.

But the move enraged Russian propagandists and they issued a terrifying nuclear warning to Germany.