Ukraine To Deploy Seized Russian Mine-Clearing Vehicles

Russia has donated tons of artillery and mortar rounds, missiles, and tanks to Ukraine but the most important war material for Kyiv right now is seized BAT-2 engineering vehicles that can clear mines and destroy trenches in eastern and southern Ukraine, David Axe reported for Forbes.

Photo Insert: The best breaching vehicles can clear mines, fill trenches, and excavate berms, all while deflecting small arms fire and artillery shrapnel.

The best breaching vehicles can clear mines, fill trenches and excavate berms, all while deflecting small arms fire and artillery shrapnel. Examples include Germany’s Dachs, the American Assault Breacher and Russia’s BAT-2.

The US, Germany, the UK, Norway, and Sweden together have pledged to Ukraine dozens of specialized AEVs.

Whether the Ukrainian army makes better use of its BAT-2s than the Russian army did comes down to leadership and discipline.

A breach is a classic combined-arms operation. That is, it requires infantry, tankers, and engineers to work together. The Russian army in Ukraine has neglected combined arms—and paid for it with heavy losses, Axe reported.

The Ukrainian army’s own battlefield practices are sounder, thanks in large part to intensive training alongside NATO forces. But the coming breaching ops might be the real test of the Ukrainians’ combined-arms prowess.

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic