Ukrainian forces have fired artillery strikes at Russian combat vehicles and a new snow personnel carrier in the Kyiv region.
The Ukrainian military successfully destroyed advancing Russian forces, including the rare GAZ-3344-20 ‘Aleut’ vehicle, which was originally designed to operate in the Arctic.
The Aleut is an articulated all-terrain vehicle developed by the Zavolzhsky Tracked Tractor Plant (ZZGT).
According to Janes, the first of 123 platforms was delivered to the Russian Ground Troops stationed in the north of the country in May 2019.
All-terrain vehicles GAZ-3344 can be used both as transport and as a platform for various special equipment. The Russian armed forces currently ordered the equipment in a transport configuration. In this case, the front link can carry up to five people or 500 kg of cargo.
The rear is made in the form of a van with 15 seats; a lifting capacity – 2 tons. It is possible to tow a trailer weighing up to 3 tons. Access to the front cabin is provided by side doors, the rear one has aft.
This is not the first time that the Russian army has used arctic vehicles for an offensive in Ukraine. Ukrainian Soldiers also destroyed the Russian DT-30 articulating tracked vehicle, manufactured by Ishimbai Transport Machine-Building Plant (Ishimbaitransmash), in the Kharkiv region.