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Russia apparently uses BTR-50 armored vehicles in the Ukraine war. These tanks were manufactured until 1970. Do they serve as a converted kamikaze weapon?
MOSCOW – The Kremlin has stored a huge number of military vehicles on its territory: main battle tanks, trucks, artillery pieces – all of which have since been retired after newer equipment has been put into service. In the event of war, however, they could be reactivated to support the Russian armed forces. However, due to their age, they are not normally used at the front. What’s behind it?
Russia sends old armored personnel carriers to Ukraine
However, on February 23, in the midst of the Ukraine war, images circulated on social networks that seemed to refute this assumption. According to war blogger Kirill Fedorov’s pro-Russian Telegram channel, Russia is currently deploying Soviet BTR-50 armored personnel carriers to the combat zone in Ukraine. The relevance of the photos is indicated by the Russian identifying mark: the Latin letter V for units of the Russian Navy. However, the information cannot be independently verified.
The amphibious armored personnel carrier dates back to the 1950s. The BTR-50 was in service with the land forces of the USSR and the allied Warsaw Pact states from 1954. As the SPW-50PK, it was part of the standard equipment of the GDR NVA until 1990. Serial production of the BTR-50 ended in 1970. In total, more than 6,300 vehicles of various modifications were produced.
BTR-50 tanks weigh just over 14 tons, have only light armor and can carry up to 20 men. They are based on the light swimming tank PT-76, two water jet openings at the rear are used for locomotion in the water. The tanks can be equipped with a machine gun for defensive purposes.
Old BTR-50 tanks in action? Russia is running out of equipment
It is not known why such old tanks are being used again. Perhaps it is another indication of the lack of armored vehicles in the ranks of the Russian armed forces, which have been suffering enormous losses since the start of the Ukraine war.
But it could also be that the vehicles are used to implement a new Russian tactic. Old armored vehicles can serve as remote-controlled kamikaze machines – they are loaded with explosives and sent forward to destroy fortified defenses. Similar tactics were used by the terrorist organization IS in Syria during the fighting for the city of Deir ez-Zor. Terrorists sent modified BTR-50s loaded with explosives to Syrian troops’ positions. (cs)