Finnish-made six-wheeled armoured personnel carriers were seen in Ukraine, in footage that began circulating on social media late last week.
The Patria Pasi XA-185s, better known as the Sisu Pasi, reportedly are being donated to Ukraine by Finland to support Ukrainian defenders in the war against Russia.
The Finnish government does not officially confirm the delivery of armored vehicles to Ukraine, but at the same time, it has previously announced additional defense aid to Ukraine.
In a statement, the Finnish Ministry of Defense said: “To ensure that the assistance reaches its destination, more detailed information on the content, manner of delivery, or schedule of the assistance will not be provided.
The XA-185 was originally manufactured and marketed by the Finnish company Sisu Auto but after defense products were split from Sisu and became part of Patria, the later variants were manufactured and marketed by the Finnish defence company Patria and are known as Patria XA series.
The Vehicle’s widely known nickname “Pasi” (also a common given name of Finnish men) stems from the Finnish name “panssari-Sisu” (English: armoured Sisu).
The XA series has no standard armament, but is equipped with a rotating turret structure for installation of light/heavy machine guns or autocannons. It also has 8 BMP style firing ports on the sides and rear. Therefore, passengers, usually a squad of infantry, can fire their weapons from the cover of the armor. It also offers more internal space compared to other similar vehicles like the Fuchs or BTR-80.
