Ukrainian engineers not only restore and repair captured Russian combat vehicles but modernize them.
According to a report from Vilniy Voenkor, Ukrainian engineers have upgraded the BTR-82A armored personnel carrier, which had been captured in March by Ukrainian troops on the northern outskirts of Kyiv.
“This is the main armored personnel carrier of the Russian army, in service since 2013. Like all Russian BTR-82, it has significant shortcomings. Our engineers had to work on it,” the report states.
At present, the armored vehicle is already equipped with a thermal imager. After the final upgrade, the armored personnel carrier will receive improved armor and satellite Internet.
According to Oryx‘s open-source-intelligence analysts who scrutinize photos and videos on social media, more than 100 BTR-82A(M) were captured and 22 abandoned since Russia’s invasion began on February 24.
In addition, Russian K-53949 Typhoon-K armored vehicles also are undergoing repairs and modernization. Thanks to the help of volunteers, one of the burned-out newest armored vehicles, which the Russian army was so proud of, is being restored.
The K-53949 is a Russian mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle (MRAP). It is also known as Taifunionok.
Typhoon-K is based on the common chassis utilised by the Kamaz family of all-wheel drive medium and heavy-duty vehicles. The vehicle also shares most of the components and assemblies with the other platforms in the family.
Oryx’s Blog said that Russian troops lost a total of 9 such armored vehicles, of which 7 were destroyed, two were captured and another one was abandoned in battle.