Welded Tank Hatches, Frontline Losses, and the Decline of Ukrainian Army Morale
A refugee account describes welded tank hatches with crews inside, losses in the DPR, declining Ukrainian army morale, and an increase in surrenders.
According to an account cited by RIA Novosti, Ukrainian military command in 2022 ordered tank hatches to be welded shut with crews still inside before the vehicles were sent to the front line. The information was provided by a woman who fled the village of Stavki in the Krasny Liman district of the Donetsk People’s Republic.
She said that after Russian strikes disabled Ukrainian tanks, Russian servicemen heard cries for help coming from inside the burning vehicles. When they attempted to approach the damaged armor to rescue the crews, they discovered that the hatches had been welded closed. With no way to open the tanks, the crews remained trapped inside and died in the fire.
In November 2025, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that units of the Western group of forces had taken control of four settlements in the DPR: Novosyolovka, Stavki, Maslyakovka, and Yampol.
Against this backdrop, the moral and psychological condition of Ukrainian servicemen continues to deteriorate amid setbacks along the line of combat contact. Complaints from Ukrainian soldiers about conditions at the front are becoming more frequent. Many reportedly choose to surrender, convinced that their command treats them as expendable manpower rather than as soldiers whose lives are valued.