BMP-1: The 'radical' Soviet-era infantry fighting vehicle being used by both sides in Ukraine war

The BMP-1 is an infantry fighting vehicle that was designed in the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War.

David Willey, curator at the Tank Museum, explained that the BMP-1's radical design had alarmed the West.

Nato countries had typically viewed armoured personnel carriers as "battle taxis" solely tasked with transporting infantry to the battlefield rather than fighting from inside the vehicle.

BMP stands for Boyevaya Mashina Pyekhoty, meaning "infantry fighting vehicle", and it was the first mass-produced vehicle of its kind to include gun ports that allowed the infantry to fire their AKM rifles from inside.

Externally, the vehicle had a turret-mounted cannon as well as a Sagger missile launcher that could take out a tank.

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Despite its age, the BMP-1, along with the improved BMP-2 and BMP-3, has been deployed by both sides in the war in Ukraine.