Images in the public domain suggest that russian forces are experimenting with the incorporation of anti-mine trawls on the Chekan armored vehicles. The narrative revolves around the potential utilization of these vehicles, possibly designed for a “short life cycle”, in breaching minefields set by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This mirrors previous russian tactics, such as the deployment of vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs).
Notably, the Chekan armored vehicles differ from the standard equipment of the russian army, with only the Wagner private military company reported to have used such vehicles. The status of these vehicles within the Wagner Group remains uncertain, raising questions about whether they were retained or handed over to regular russian troops in the summer of 2023.
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The Chekan armored vehicle is structurally reminiscent of the Soviet BТР-152, characterized by its unique design features. However, scant public information is available about this vehicle, limited to details like its base being a modified Ural-4320 vehicle, armor capable of withstanding 7.62 mm caliber ammunition, and armaments including a turret-mounted KPVT 14.5 mm machine gun and a paired PKT 7.62 mm machine gun. Information regarding weight, passenger capacity and production numbers is notably absent.
Oryx does not indicate the Chekan type vehicles in its calculations, despite confirmed instances of at least one such vehicle being lost during battles against the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the east of Ukraine in the summer of 2022.
The rationale behind fitting the Chekan vehicles with anti-mine trawls introduces complexities in predicting the russia's strategic intentions. It is plausible that the russians anticipate these vehicles’ ability to penetrate minefields, distinguishing them from traditional tanks and armored vehicles. Alternatively, this move might be a deliberate effort to downplay the significance of these BТР-152 clones, potentially treating them as controlled losses, akin to the fate of rare BTR-90 or stolen BMP-1U in past military operations.
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