The lack of military equipment due to the wear and tear it is experiencing Russia since the beginning of the invasion in Ukraine1,000 days ago, has brought its president, Vladimir Putinto resort to creative measures, such as bailing out for his Army dozens of soviet tanks that were intended for used in cinema.
As detailed this week by Karen Shakhnazarov, CEO of Russia’s largest and oldest film studio, Mosfilm, last year they donated dozens of tanks and other armored vehicles from the Soviet era to the Russian Army.
Specifically, the facilities of these film studios housed a total of 28 T-55 tankseight PT-76 light tanks, six infantry fighting vehicles and other military equipment.
“I found out that there was a needI contacted the Ministry of Defense and they took these vehicles,” Shakhnazarov said in a meeting last Wednesday with Putin in the Kremlin, according to The Moscow Times.
Although Shakhnazarov has not clarified whether any of these Soviet-era tanks had been deployed on the battlefield in Ukrainevarious information published last year already indicated that Russia had had to resort to tanks from the 50s to continue fighting in Ukraine.
Likewise, the CEO of Russia’s largest film studios also assured this week that Mosfilm had donated So far in 2024, a total of 6 million rubles (about 57,000 euros at the exchange rate) for war needs from Russia.