The US military is helping Ukrainian forces repair their weapons and equipment through phone calls and video chats, according to a report by the Associated Press.
A team of troops, civilians, and contractors from the US and its allies is reportedly providing real-time hardware support to Kyiv from a base in Poland.
The move comes as NATO countries refuse to send troops to the war-torn nation over fears of conflict escalation.
The virtual support reportedly happens more often when Ukraine’s forces are in battle and exchanging fire with the enemy.
“A lot of the time, we’ll get calls from right there on the firing line, so there’ll be outgoing or incoming fire at the same time you’re trying to help the forward maintainers troubleshoot the best they can,” a member of the US-led team told the outlet.
To avoid being tracked and intercepted, the team uses encrypted communication on phones and tablets to give advice on repairing and maintaining specific equipment.
A Sign of Heavy Battle
The US military’s move to remotely repair donated military hardware illustrates the fierce combat ongoing in Ukraine for almost a year.
Ukrainian troops reportedly continue to use heavy artillery systems bound for repair to repel continued Russian aggression.
Last year, a member of the Washington National Guard received a phone call from a Ukrainian soldier about a problem with his Javelin anti-tank missile.
The issue was fixed remotely, and the soldier later on told his American friend that he had managed to neutralize a Russian vehicle.
As of early January, Ukraine has incurred more than $700 billion in damages due to the war, according to an Anadolu Agency report.
