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

• Some Russian troops are intentionally punching holes in their gas tanks, a Pentagon official said.
• The official said many Russian troops were young and inexperienced, The New York Times reported.

Some Russian troops have "deliberately punched holes in their vehicles' gas tanks" as morale among the Russians declines, a senior US official said.

The troops appear to be self-sabotaging to avoid combat, the unnamed senior Pentagon official said, according to The New York Times. The official added that many of the Russian troops were young and inexperienced in combat and faced dwindling food and fuel resources.

Tuesday marked the sixth day of Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, which prompted protests around the world, including in Russia. Explosions have rocked the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, as well as Ukraine's second-biggest city, Kharkiv, since Russia invaded.

As morale drops, some of the Russian troops have surrendered to Ukrainian forces "without a fight," a US senior defense official told reporters in a briefing on Tuesday.

The US official said there had been evidence "of a certain risk-averse behavior by the Russian military" since Russia launched its assault on Ukraine, CNN reported.

In response to Russia's assault, Western nations have levied heavy sanctions and other restrictive financial measures against the country, a move that Putin claimed was unlawful.