Videos circulating on social media last week show Ukrainians using tractors to haul away Russian missile systems and a Russian military vehicle.
“The Ukrainian ‘tractor army’ was spotted carrying a Russian Tor-M2 (very probably the same one captured a couple of days ago),” said one Twitter user who posted one video.
Days earlier, a different video showed what is reported to be a Ukrainian farmer using his tractor to haul away a Russian missile system.
Another video showed a blue tractor hauling away a Russian armored personnel carrier.
A video posted Tuesday showed one Ukrainian tractor towing a Russian tank.
The Russian army is reported to have thousands of missile systems. According to MSN, Russia has roughly 900,000 active military personnel, including around 200,000 who were stationed at the border with Ukraine prior to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order to invade.
Putin’s army has over 13,300 tanks, nearly 20,000 armored vehicles and almost 6,000 pieces of artillery. Additionally, the Russian navy has 74 warships and 51 submarines, and the air force has roughly 1,300 aircraft and 500 helicopters.
The Russian military also has more than 500 land-based ballistic missile launchers, the outlet reported.
Earlier this year, Russia revealed that it had test-launched 12 of its new 3M22 Zircon (Tsirkon) hypersonic nuclear-capable missiles, all of which likely took place in a “salvo” launch during two Dec. 24 tests from a submarine and a frigate.
“Last night or, to be more exact, this morning, the Tsirkon hypersonic system was salvo-launched,” Putin said during a joint meeting of the State Council and the Council on Science and Education on Dec. 24, Russia’s state-run TASS news agency reported. “This is our latest missile that can strike both naval and ground targets. The tests were successful and impeccable.”
“This is a big event in the country’s life and a considerable step towards enhancing Russia’s security and its defense capability,” Putin added.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the Russian Navy’s Northern Fleet conducted a total of 12 Zircon missile launches over the course of 2021, adding to a total of 70 tests of new weapons.
Ukraine’s forces are significantly smaller than Russia’s, with just 200,000 military personnel. The nation also has just two warships and zero submarines.
The Ukrainian army is managing to hold back Russian forces with just over 2,100 tanks, 2,870 armored vehicles and 2,000 pieces of artillery. Its air force owns roughly 150 aircraft and 40 helicopters, nearly one-tenth of Russia’s aerial supply.
Russia’s defense budget of $154 billion is staggering compared to Ukraine’s budget of just $11.8 billion.
While Ukraine is not a member of NATO, the country borders member nations who have ramped up defense in the region since the invasion began. The combined forces of NATO’s 30 member countries exceeds 3 million personnel.
The United States military alone has roughly 1.4 million active-duty service members, at least half a million more than Russia.
