The Ukrainian army has been engaged in continuous combat operations for three years and is constantly seeking and finding new ways to maximize its capabilities and limited resources. One of these innovations comes from Ukrainian engineers. Kyiv Post previously showcased the Novator combat vehicle, the capability of which impressed foreign partners particularly because it was created under wartime conditions.
But Ukrainians continue to push forward. Instead of makeshift workshops and relying on civilian service stations and tire repair shops, they have now developed and produced vehicle-mounted mobile workshops equipped with the necessary tools that will allow them to be deployed anywhere and fix damaged equipment on site.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
Kyiv Post visited new mobile workshops capable of carrying out major equipment repairs being put together by volunteers and military engineers for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The first thing I see is a small, highly mobile pickup truck that has been completely transformed into a repair shop on wheels. Everything is available here - a tire repair station, welding machines, and even tools that wouldn’t typically be considered military equipment.
Ukraine – Silver Lining to Ambush in Oval Office Saloon
Many of the features on this vehicle are obvious but make perfect sense. However, some are unexpected. Take this item, for example - it’s a grinder, something every Ukrainian housewife would recognize. At any farmer’s market, you can find someone using a grinder to sharpen tools.
But why is it in the army? Because out in the field, vehicles take heavy damage - parts break, lose their shape, and need to be restored. Without a grinder, soldiers would have to wait for spare parts. But with one, they can make quick repairs and keep their vehicles moving. This is not something you would typically find in a NATO vehicle. All of this is powered by a generator mounted inside the vehicle.
However, Ukraine’s engineers have gone even further. Sometimes, on-the-spot repairs in the field aren’t enough, and more complex work needs to be carried out away from the front lines. To address this, engineers have developed a fully functional mobile factory - hidden inside a shipping container - that can be deployed on any platform.
“This is a universal workshop that can service almost any type of equipment - domestic, European, or American. It includes for both metric and imperial sized tools, along with a welding stand and a hose assembly station - everything needed for any type of repair work. This container can be loaded onto any truck using a multi-lift system and transported anywhere - to a landing zone, a forest, a hangar, or even buried underground for protection. This self-sufficient workshop can function anywhere, either connected to a power grid or run from its own generator” Sergii Alferov, director of the Charity Foundation, expert in military logistics, told Kyiv Post.
This setup is truly impressive—it contains nearly everything needed for field repairs. In essence, it’s a mini-factory on wheels. This truck is from Britain, and vehicle parts can be heavy. So how do they load them into the truck? There’s a crane! It’s simple, efficient, and makes heavy lifting much easier.
Most importantly, these mobile workshops allow troops to manufacture parts themselves - eliminating the need to wait for sometimes hard to get replacements.
Inside this truck, you’ll find a range of equipment that reflects an important shift in approach. Instead of waiting for spare parts, Ukrainians have decided to make their own. Here’s a drill press - it can drill and press metal, allowing them to manufacture many essential parts on-site. This is something you won’t see in NATO units. NATO armies rely on spare parts and simply replace broken components. But the Ukrainian army, facing shortages, needs to repair and restore parts instead.
Even this wasn’t enough - volunteers have optimized everything, even setting up a dedicated welding station.
“Here, we have specialized tools to remove hub assemblies and a fully equipped welder’s station. There’s a semi-automatic welding machine, argon-arc welding, and a plasma cutter. Everything is set up with professional tools. The pneumatic and electrical systems are neatly integrated alongside the generator,” Alferov said.
Several Ukrainian units are already using these mobile workshops, including those in the Kursk region, Kharkiv region, and Donbas. They are proving highly effective on the front lines. But the engineers are not sitting back - they say there is still much work to be done.
“Each of these container-based workshops costs Hr 1.94 million (around USD 50,000) and takes about two weeks to manufacture. The equipment comes from existing stock, and the container is a standard model. So far, about 90 pickup-based workshops have been delivered. There are also 30-40 container-based mobile workshops in operation. Recipients include the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, and territorial defense forces. Additionally, many specialized tire repair units have been supplied to service civilian and military vehicles” Alferov noticed.
You can find a recap of this story here.
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
