In the temporarily occupied territories of the Zaporizhzhia region, Russian occupiers have begun the forced seizure of hunting weapons from local residents, allegedly "for the needs of the SMO." Owners are being forced to hand over shotguns under pressure, threats of inspections, and criminal cases, reports the National Resistance Center, according to UNN.
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The occupation administration presents this as a "voluntary charitable transfer"; however, according to the NRC, the weapons are actually being taken under pressure and threats of criminal prosecution.
In Melitopol, the occupiers have already announced the transfer of 14 units of hunting weapons to the Russian military. Formally, participation in such an "action" is called voluntary, but owners are explicitly hinted that refusal could lead to "problems" with the Rosgvardia and the occupation police.
According to NRC sources, hunters are being intimidated with potential inspections, searches, and the opening of criminal proceedings for "illegal storage" or other fabricated violations. This is why most owners are forced to agree to hand over their weapons to the occupiers.
The occupation army plans to use smoothbore weapons to combat FPV drones at the front, as the Russian army is increasingly turning to the use of civilian shotguns due to heavy losses and a shortage of specialized equipment.
In effect, the occupiers have turned the TOT (temporarily occupied territories) into a resource base for their own army—now even personal hunting weapons are being seized from the local population under the pretext of "voluntary support,"