Ukraine: Russia deploying 'vintage' armoured personnel carriers amid mounting vehicle losses
The Russian military is deploying "vintage" armoured personnel carriers from the 1950s to Ukraine as it continues to suffer heavy armoured vehicle losses.
In the latest defence intelligence update, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) said Russia has started deploying "BTR-50 armoured personnel carriers, first fielded in 1954" for the first time in Ukraine.
The MOD also said Russia is continuing to deploy 60-year-old T-62 main battle tanks amid the losses.
The MOD continued: "There is a realistic possibility that even units of the 1st Guards Tank Army (1 GTA), supposedly Russia's premier tank force, will be re-equipped with T-62s to make up for previous losses.
"1 GTA had previously been due to receive the next-generation T-14 Armata MBT from 2021.
"Since summer 2022, approximately 800 T-62s have been taken from storage and some have received upgraded sighting systems which will highly likely improve their effectiveness at night."
The MOD described the T-62s and BTR-50s as "vintage" and said they will "present many vulnerabilities on the modern battlefield, including the absence of modern explosive reactive armour".
It comes after the MOD said Russian defence companies showcase their products at international arms fairs while Moscow forces in Ukraine continue to use old equipment.
The MOD said the Arena-E active protection system for armoured vehicles has been shown off, although there is "no evidence" of it being installed on Russia's vehicles in Ukraine.
The MOD says Russia has lost more than 5,000 armoured vehicles in Ukraine.
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