Ukraine is turning a rare Russian armored personnel carrier, which was captured by Ukranian Soldiers, into an armored command vehicle.
The new vehicle will ensure a secure connection between soldiers and military commanders to enable greater continuity of operations and maneuverability during missions.
In a new development, Ukrainian engineers from the Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation (the crowdfunded non-governmental organization) appear to be using a VPK Ural 4×4 multipurpose all-terrain vehicle as a base for the new mobile command and control vehicle.
The VPK Ural is a protected utility vehicle based on a Ural-family chassis jointly developed by the Russian VPK company and UAE-based Streit Group.
According to some reports, like one from TASS, the armored vehicle can carry 12 individuals, provides protection against 7.62 mm armor-piercing cartridges and can withstand an attack of an explosive device with an explosive weight of up to 6 kg. It is powered by a 360hp YaMZ-536 turbocharged diesel engine, which produces a road speed of 100 km/h and a cruising range of up to 1,000 km.
The VPK Ural weighs 14.5 tonnes and measures 6,500 mm long, 2,550 mm wide, and 2,800 mm high.
The export version of VPK-Ural, designed for the Streit Group, is called the Condor and completely repeats the design and body elements of the Russian Ural-VPK.