Located in a secret military repair yard behind the front line in Kharkiv in Ukraine's east, this small workshop has been repairing captured Russian equipment for redeployment against Moscow's forces.
Ukrainian Mechanics Refurbish Captured Russian Tanks To Battle Moscow's Forces
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Since the start of the war on February 24, 2022, members of the Ukrainian 14 Mechanized Brigade say they have repaired nearly 100 Russian armored vehicles that have since been redeployed against Moscow's forces.
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A mechanic works on an armored vehicle. Before the war some of the people here had professions that greatly differed from what they are doing now.
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One mechanic, Dmytro (not pictured), worked previously as a bicycle repair man. He says there are similarities between bikes and tanks. "The way both work is basically the same...but of course there are differences."
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One of the challenges the mechanics have is working with equipment that the Ukrainian military does not have such as the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle. They say they download Russian manuals from the Internet.
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Mechanics inspect several infantry fighting vehicles for parts. Repairing the vehicles can take anywhere from a day to a month.
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A tank tread awaits servicing. Most of the appropriated Russian equipment doesn't need much in repairs, according to the mechanics.
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A mechanic works on the underside of a BMP-3 seized from the Russians during last year's Ukrainian counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region.
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Once the equipment has been repaired, they will be repainted with the white cross of the Ukrainian Army or its trident emblem and then redeployed -- against the Russians.
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With Western equipment that Ukraine hopes will turn the conflict in its favor expected to arrive in the coming weeks, Ruslan refuses to say whether his shop will service the tanks but insists his team has the expertise if needed. "We already have staff who are trained to repair and understand tanks," he says.
