Far from the frontline, Ukraine's mechanics play crucial role in war effort

(27 Oct 2023)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kyiv, Ukraine - 24 October 2023
1. Mid of mechanic at repair workshop
2. Various of armoured personnel vehicle
3. Interior, wide of repair workshop
4. Close of workers passing by Humvee
5. Close of hole from a bullet
6. Tracking shot of mechanic
7. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Mykhailo, no last name given for security reasons:
"The vehicles arrive in a bad condition, very dirty, unkempt, because nobody there has the time to take care of them (because they fight)."
8. Wide of workshop with damaged vehicles
9. Close of machines
10. Wide of mechanic climbing APC
11. Mid of mechanic going into vehicles
12. Various of repairs
13. Close of machinery
14. Exterior, various of armoured vehicle being driven
15. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Andrii, chief mechanic of repair centre, no last name given for security reasons:
"Now we are inside MT-LB (armoured personnel carrier). We brought it here for a test-drive to check on the repairs before we send it back to the guys (soldiers) on the frontline."
16. Various of Andrii in armoured vehicle
17. Various of vehicle tested
18. Various of vehicle being repaired
19. Various of silhouettes of mechanics on top of armoured vehicle
20. Interior filled with smoke
21. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Andrii, chief mechanic of repair centre, no last name given for security reasons:
"The first test was unsatisfactory. We found a lot of minor flaws. But it will be fixed. Now the vehicle will be placed on a tank transporter and will go to the base. We will replace all low-quality spare parts, we will fix all minor flaws, and then we will send the vehicle to the test-drive and after that we will send it back to the boys."
22. Close of exhaust fumes
23. Various of vehicle being rolled into tank transporter
STORYLINE:
These Ukrainians are far from the battlefield. But their work is a crucial part of the country’s efforts to claw back territories that Russia snatched since the launch of its invasion last year.

In workshops around the country, mechanics piece together parts from old vehicles, Soviet-era machines, or just about anything they can get their hands on to service the vehicles the troops need in the frontline.

”The vehicles arrive in bad condition, very dirty, unkempt, because nobody there has the time to take care of them,” said Mykhailo, a seasoned mechanic who declined to give other details about himself for security reasons.

The vehicles range from armoured personnel carriers (APC) to trucks and even U.S.-donated Humvees, almost all of them bearing visible scars of battle: bullet holes, cracked windows, blast marks.

Ukraine is heavily reliant on Western military aid for its battle with Russia.

Almost 20 months of war have sapped both sides’ military resources.

Analysts say the fighting is likely to settle into positional warfare during the approaching winter, with little change along the 930-mile front line.

The U.S. administration announced in January that it would send the tanks to Ukraine — after insisting for months that they were too complicated and too hard to maintain and repair.

The decision was part of a broader political maneuvre that opened the door for Germany to announce it would send its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and allow Poland and other allies to do the same.

The Pentagon is speeding up its delivery of Abrams tanks to Ukraine, opting to send a refurbished older model that can be ready faster.

The original plan was to send Ukraine 31 of the newer M1A2 Abrams, which could have taken a year or two to build and ship.
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