Yahoo News Russia stealing civilian cars in occupied territories to replace equipment lost in frontline battles
Russian occupying forces in eastern and southern Ukraine are stealing cars from locals to replenish their losses in equipment on the frontlines, Ukraine’s National Resistance Center (NRC) reported on Nov. 18.
"The Ukrainian Defense Forces caused significant losses in equipment to the Russian occupying forces. From 20 to 30 vehicles are destroyed every day," the statement says.
The occupiers decided to make up for their losses by looting residents of the occupied territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts. The Kremlin issued decree No. 2059, dated 31.07.2023, stating that all enterprises "nationalized" by the occupiers are obligated to transfer equipment to the all-Russian pseudo-social movement 'People’s Front 'For Russia'' under a donation agreement.
The confiscated equipment includes mopeds, motorcycles, motor scooters, cars, buses, trucks, semi-trailers, tractors for agriculture and forestry, tracked bulldozers, and motor graders.
Read also: Russia struggles to form volunteer units in occupied Enerhodar, Kyiv says
These vehicles are rarely on the balance sheet of enterprises, so the occupiers resorted to their withdrawal from garages and private households that the so-called Russian occupation “authorities” had previously listed as "abandoned property."
Vehicles are confiscated from citizens accused by the occupiers of collaborating with the Ukrainian Armed Forces, or from those whose movable property was seized by Russian law enforcement agencies.
"This mass seizure of equipment was organized to meet the needs of the occupation administrations of the Russian Federation. It was also to engineer equipment for the positions of the Russian occupation troops on the TOT (“the occupied territories” – ed.) of southern and eastern Ukraine," the press service added.
The Russians are increasingly using two-wheeled vehicles to transport personnel, said the NRC.
The use of civilian equipment allows Russian propaganda to pass off the destruction of such transport as an attack on the civilian population.
We’re bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!
Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
