Russia's outdated armoured carriers: Mobilising for the frontline

Russians may be preparing for mobilisation in the coming months. Ukrainian intelligence recently estimated that approximately 1,000 people might be joining the ranks of the Russian Federation army daily. But what about the equipment for these soldiers? An OSINT analyst had a closer look at the machines that may soon reach the front. We explain their capabilities.

Using the pseudonym Jompy, the OSINT researcher analysed, based on satellite images (bases and repair shops), the capabilities of the Russians in the context of delivering "new" machines to the front in upcoming attacks.

"It's about old, damaged armoured personnel carriers of the BTR-60, BTR-70, and BTR-80 series," listed the analyst quoted by the Unian agency. He claims that at the beginning of the war, the aggressor's army had nearly 3,400 vehicles from the BTR family. However, it is not clear how many vehicles Moscow has deployed since the war began.

"In almost all warehouses, there are exclusively old BTR-60/70s. Russia has practically not used them until now," – we read. Although newer BTR-70s have started to appear on the front recently, there are still a few of them. Meanwhile, older BTR-60s mainly serve today as platforms for specialized engineering vehicles and other auxiliary means and are rarely seen on the front in the basic variant.

Jompy also notes that Russia was supposed to remove many armoured personnel carriers from its warehouses and "almost certainly exhausted the supplies of BTR-80/82 models." He also suggested that in 2024, the remaining BTR-60/70s in the warehouses will go to the front, which will be the armament of newly mobilised units. However, it is essential – the analyst stresses that "these machines are not well preserved." The army does not maintain them regularly, which may affect their reliability and limited utility at the front.

The mentioned BTR-60, which Russia will use in further attacks, is equipment whose production began in 1959. It is the first Soviet eight-wheeled armoured personnel carrier. It can carry a maximum of 16 people, of which 14 are assault troops.

Its power unit, with 241 horsepower, allows the construction, weighing over 10 tonnes, to accelerate to speeds of up to 80 km/h (about 10 km/h in water) and can cover approximately 500 km on a single tank of fuel. The armament of the BTR-60 is sufficient to repel attacks by infantry forces. The vehicle has 14.5 mm and 7.62 mm machine guns. The armour of this vehicle depends on its variant (year of production). However, the BTR-60 is generally considered to have weak armour, which results from numerous welds on the hull.

The BTR-70, which Jompy also points out as a machine that will reach the front in the coming months, is a somewhat newer design compared to the "sixty," as it has been produced since 1973. It is powered by an engine with a total output of 321 horsepower, accelerating the vehicle up to 80 km/h. Like the BTR-60, the newer transporter can also cross bodies of water. It uses 14.5 mm and 7.62 mm-calibre machine guns to attack enemy targets.