Car mechanics in Ukraine bringing back destroyed Russian tanks to life as country awaits Challenger, Leopard and Abrams

Kyiv: While Ukraine is waiting for the foreign tanks, a former vehicle repair facility in eastern part of the country, a few hours from the battle lines, is now reportedly restoring and adapting captured Russian tanks, armoured personnel carriers, and a variety of other donated or outmoded military hardware. Recently, a lead mechanic of the shop gave a Zoom interview to an American journalist in which he said, “We’ve learnt so much that occasionally military units come to us and learn from our mechanics, how to fix military equipment, both Soviet and foreign.” On the warehouse floor are dispersed rows of obsolete military vehicles built in both Russia and the United States. The volunteer mechanics scramble across the various pieces of machinery in an effort to understand how they operate. The lead mechanic, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of concern that his work might have an impact on family members who live in a part of the country that is under Russian occupation, said, “We are trying to evolve and we are trying to be better every time in hopes that we will reach the level of a true military facility.” These mechanics reportedly fixed autos, trucks, railroads, and buses prior to the war. Their attention is currently on the Russian invaders and how to dismantle Russian T-72 tanks, American-made MRAP vehicles, and donated multiple-launch rocket systems that were given to them for repair. Volunteer mechanics quickly mastered the operation of a variety of second hand military equipment and made the repairs necessary to return them to the battlefield while Ukraine’s Western allies debated for months whether to give Ukraine tanks and other military equipment. The head mechanic claimed that they had never dealt with military equipment before and were certainly weren’t prepared for this, but the war started and they had to push back the Russian Federation. The efforts of the chief mechanic and his team are, in some respects, at the heart of the conflict that recently overshadowed negotiations between Ukraine and its partners. As the war approaches its first anniversary, Ukraine has persisted in pressing the argument that it needs more armoured vehicles and tanks, as opposed to only the repaired and out-of-date equipment from the Soviet era that it has relied upon, to break through the increasingly entrenched battle. With no tanks initially planned, the U.S., Germany, and other NATO partners in turn deliberated what kind of assistance to offer Ukraine. After protracted discussions with his European counterparts, American president Joe Biden announced last week that the United States would provide 31 M1 Abrams tanks. Germany announced they would provide 14 Leopard 2 tanks initially, promising to send more later, and that it would allow countries that had bought their tanks to do the same. Other countries including Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, Finland and Sweden also said they were planning on or considering sending their own Leopard 2 tanks. Even the United Kingdom pledged to send 14 of its Challenger 2 battle tanks. In the meantime, the Russian army has lost a significant number of tanks since the battle began. According to Oryx, a Dutch investigative organisation that tracks military equipment losses, 1,646 Russian tanks have been lost, damaged, abandoned, or taken. According to the group, “only wrecked vehicles and equipment of which photographic or videographic evidence is available” are included. For the Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation, a non-profit run by Prytula, a former television host and contender for office in Kyiv, Bohdan Ostapchuk has assisted in organising the repair of captured automobiles at the facility, American media report claimed. 13 captured Russian vehicles, including T-72 tanks, BTR-80 amphibious personnel carriers, BMP infantry fighting vehicles, and BREM-1 armoured repair and recovery vehicles, have already been repaired by them. Ostapchuk said after visiting the mechanics who were working on an American personnel carrier among other things: “When politicians abroad say that vehicles from Western countries are too complicated for Ukrainians, that we need to have a lot of infrastructure or that we need to spend a lot of time with these vehicles, it’s not true. “If they give us parts and one week to explore the manual, we will repair every tank that the USA, Great Britain, Germany will send to us and we will return them to the front lines for our soldiers.” According to Reuters, Ukrainian tank operators are being sent to Poland in the near future to receive training on the German-made Leopard 2 tanks that several NATO nations will give. By early spring, they should be prepared for use on the front lines. These volunteer mechanics are getting more inventive in the interim. By swapping out the turret and cannon for a crane and ramp, they are converting an old T-72 tank into a mobile repair vehicle. In response to requests from combat medics, they altered a light-armored vehicle to produce a more robust field ambulance. To compensate for their lack of tanks, they sometimes equipped armoured personnel carriers with guns and light cannons. According to Ostapchuk, anything with wheels and some armour can be useful. To preserve lives, he continued, “we must employ every old Soviet transport vehicle, every armoured vehicle, every pickup, whatever we have to restore to provide to our forces.” He is aware that the request is significant, but he also believes that every tank sent by the West will enable the West. He pledged “stand boldly, fight bravely, and fight smartly.” Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.