A video published online the other day shows russian invasion forces approaching Ukrainian positions in an offensive formation inside a BTR-MDM Rakushka. This tracked armored vehicle, characteristic for airborne units of the russian army, rode over a landmine and blew up, the events took place in the Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine.
Provided that Ukrainians here used a camera drone to confirm the elimination of the threat, we can assume a mine barrier tactic was applied here – when mines are on short notice deployed to a dangerous axis of a looming attack. The drone could be used both for visual confirmation and for planting the mines.
Read more: Russians Installed Artillery Control Systems to Rakushka APC, Announce to Put Service
Considering the context, it s safe to add that this method of repelling the enemy advances is one of those that enable the Ukrainians to slow down russian offensive attempts in Kupiansk and Lyman directions, to the north of Bakhmut where Ukraine is carrying out an offensive of its own.
And here's another interesting thing about this mine-blasting episode, it's about the BTR-MDM Rakushka particularly. When this vehicle was developed at the Volgograd Tractor Plant under the initial designation BTR-MD in 2008, its mass production was delayed for another 8 years until finally starting in 2016 at another facility, the Kurganmashzavod machine building plant.
One of the reasons is that russian subsidiaries were fiercely competing over a good deal: each vehicle cost around $1 mln. The other reason was the requirements from the russian army commanders. They wanted a combat vehicle for airborne forces with powerful weapons and decent maneuverability but light enough to be parachuted from an An-12 aircraft or a Mi-26 helicopter.
That's how they got a vehicle with two machine guns, a potent 500 hp engine, and a weight of a mere 14 tons but without mine-resistant protection. Moreover, it has six hatches for personnel which makes armor less durable.
According to The Military Balance 2023, as of beginning this year, the russian armed forces only had 100 vehicles of this type, decreased from 122 units the year prior. At the same time, the Oryx OSINT community has visually confirmed 19 losses of BTR-MDMs in Ukraine, of which 7 got captured by Ukrainians.
Earlier Defense Express reported russian defense industry had plans to use BTR-MDM Rakushka as chassis for Zavet-D artillery control systems to equip their airborne troops.
Read more: Why russia Leaving Bodies of own Soldiers on Battlefield - It was Named Reason
