The Ukrainian armed forces will soon receive a batch of M113 armored personnel carriers from Spain, according to the country’s Defense Minister Margarita Robles.
Margarita Robles said that Spain will send 20 M113 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine.
Spanish media reported that the delivery of the personnel carriers is the second delivery of these vehicles to the Ukrainian Army from Spain in the last six months. Earlier in September, Madrid also handed over 20 M113 armored vehicles to Kyiv.
The M113 is one of the most popular armored personnel carriers in the world. The development of the M113 started in 1956 with the goal of providing a lightweight tracked armored vehicle for infantry units in the U.S. army.
The long-serving M113 tracked vehicle will help Ukraine to repel a renewed military offensive by Russia.
M113 was the first aluminum hull combat vehicle to be put into mass production, it introduced new aluminum armor that made the vehicle much lighter than earlier vehicles; it was thick enough to protect the crew and passengers against small arms fire but light enough that the vehicle was air transportable and moderately amphibious.