Game-Changing Abrams Tanks Present One Glaring Problem for Ukraine

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby on Wednesday discussed the recent decision by the United States to provide 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine.

Among the topics Kirby talked about during a press conference were certain issues Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's military forces may experience with the tanks, including the potentially large problem of fueling the battle vehicles.

Abrams tanks run on a "gas turbine engine which needs jet fuel," Kirby said. "So there's a specific type of fuel that powers the Abrams, and we've got to make sure that pipeline—literally and figuratively—is available to Ukraine."

John Spencer, a retired U.S. Army major and chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Madison Policy Forum, told Newsweek that he agrees fuel is a major consideration with the Abrams.

"Fueling will be a hurdle for Ukraine. The M1 engine can actually work with a variety of fuels, but I only remember running them with jet fuel," Spencer said.

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