The Russian military is forcing Ukrainian mechanics to repair and maintain its armored vehicles damaged in the ongoing invasion, according to Ukraine’s National Resistance Center (NRC).
Moscow has reportedly lost two-thirds of its tanks in Ukraine since it invaded the nation in February 2022.
It has also suffered significant equipment damage due to stiff Ukrainian resistance.
Since Russian forces lack mechanics to repair their damaged vehicles, the NRC said Ukrainian car specialists from local service stations are being forced to help.
The government agency said that this happens particularly in Russian-occupied Crimea.
The center has called on residents not to cooperate with the invaders and advised them to disable the vehicles instead.
Confirming Previous Reports
The NRC report confirms a previous assessment by the Ukrainian defense ministry that Russian forces are facing a shortage of professional military personnel.
More than 116,000 Russian troops have reportedly been killed since the invasion began.
Over 10,000 armored vehicles have also been destroyed, damaged, or captured.
According to open-source intelligence tracker Oryx, verified losses as of April 2023 include 1,900 tanks, 3,500 armored vehicles, and more than 2,400 logistics and supply vehicles.
Apart from forcing mechanics to repair vehicles, the US claimed that “hundreds of thousands” of Ukrainian citizens have been forcibly taken to Russia.
These civilians reportedly pass through a series of “filtration points” where treatment allegedly ranges from interrogations, data collection, strip searches, and torture.