Russia needs arms, seizes civilian hunting guns in occupied Zaporizhzhia
Russian troops are seizing firearms in the occupied Ukrainian territories (photo: Getty Images)
Russian militants have begun forcibly confiscating smoothbore firearms from hunters in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region. Personal property is being seized from civilians under the pretext of "meeting the needs of the special military operation," reports the National Resistance Center of Ukraine.
Details of seizures, intimidation of civilians
The occupation administration tries to portray the seizures as "voluntary charitable donations." In Melitopol, for example, Russians have already reported receiving 14 hunting shotguns from local residents.
Sources of the National Resistance Center say the weapons are, in fact, being taken under heavy pressure. Owners are being directly threatened with "problems" from the Russian National Guard and occupation police if they refuse.
Ukrainians living in the occupied territories are also being intimidated with surprise searches of homes, regular inspections, and fabricated criminal cases for alleged "illegal possession" of weapons.
Most hunters are forced to surrender their firearms because of the real threat of imprisonment and repression.
Russian army needs civilian shotguns
The occupiers plan to send the smoothbore firearms directly to the front line. Russian troops intend to use civilian hunting shotguns to counter Ukrainian FPV drones.
The Russian military has been forced to resort to such weapons because of heavy equipment losses on the front line and a severe shortage of specialized anti-drone systems and electronic warfare equipment.
The National Resistance Center states that Russia has effectively turned the Ukrainian territories it occupied into its own resource base.
Russians loot civilians in occupied territories
This is not the first case in which Russians seize civilian property or tighten police controls in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
In Luhansk, postal workers were ordered to record the personal information of people receiving international parcels and pass the data to occupation security services.
In Crimea, Russians have also been massively confiscating homes and land from residents. At least 80 families are reportedly facing the demolition of their homes, with property being seized without any compensation.
Well-known Ukrainians have also been targeted by so-called nationalization. Earlier, the occupation authorities in Crimea announced the confiscation of property belonging to world boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk.
