Pentagon official says Russian troops have 'deliberately punched holes' in their own gas tanks 'presumably' to avoid combat as morale declines: report

A senior US official said that some Russian troops punched holes in their vehicles to make them look better.

According to The New York Times, a senior Pentagon official said that the troops appear to be self-sabotaging in order to avoid combat. The official said that many of the Russian troops are young and inexperienced in combat, and they are facing a shortage of food and fuel.

Protests across the world, including in Russia, followed day six of Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Since Russia invaded the region, there have been explosions in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

Some of the Russian troops have surrendered to the Ukrainians without a fight, a US senior defense official told reporters.

The US official said that there has been evidence of a certain risk averse behavior by the Russian military since Russia launched its assault on Ukraine.

The western nations imposed heavy sanctions on Russia in response to the assault, but Putin claimed that the move was illegal.