Satellite images indicate that the russian occupiers are actively removing BRDM-2 armored vehicles from storage, some of which are sent for repair and modernization at the facilities of the 103rd Armored Repair Plant.
According to Defence24, the 6066th (Volgograd region), the 22nd (near Kostroma) and the 111th storage bases (Komsomolsk-on-Amur) are involved in this case.
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The authors of this publication emphasize that the BRDM-2 is poorly suited to the role of an armored vehicle, as the design of this vehicle does not provide a compartment for infantry. Therefore, it is possible that russians are recommissioning their BRDM-2s primarily as a mobile firepower equipped with a 14.5 mm KPVT machine gun and a 7.62 mm PK machine gun.
In addition, the shortage of BTR-82 and BTR-80, as well as MT-LB armoured personnel carriers due to losses sustained during the fighting against the Defense Forces of Ukraine, may also be a motive for active recommissioning of the BRDM-2.
At the same time, the authors hypothesized that, in addition to the BRDM-2, russia may also recommission specialized vehicles based on this APC, such as self-propelled ATGMs.
According to the Military Balance 2024, russia has almost no BRDM-2 vehicles left in storage. The guide states that at the beginning of this year, the occupiers had only 100 of these armored vehicles in storage.
At the same time, we can conclude that the actual number of BRDM-2 vehicles in russian storage with at the beginning of this year may be much higher.
Therefore, it is likely that russian occupiers are actively recommissioning their BRDM-2s as massive vehicles for fire support of their infantry.
Earlier Defense Express reported that OSINTers had counted 339 artillery rocket systems remaining in russian storage.
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