The rare Ukrainian BREM-84 Atlet armored recovery vehicle has recently been spotted in service with the Ukrainian military. This is a good opportunity to revisit this interesting piece of equipment — essentially the "sister" of the BM Oplot main battle tank.
The available footage, apparently recent (judging by the weather, likely filmed in autumn), shows the Atlet armored recovery vehicle preparing what appears to be a defensive position. It was probably used in a training exercise, as the only known Ukrainian vehicle of this type belongs to the Military Institute of Armored Forces at the National Technical University "Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute."
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As for other operators, The Military Balance notes that two additional BREM-84s are in service with Thailand. This is unsurprising, as the country also operates 49 Ukrainian BM Oplot tanks — the chassis on which the recovery vehicle is based.
This is not the first time the Atlet armored recovery vehicle has been seen since russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It was first spotted in June 2022, and then again in May 2025 in footage showing its 6TD-2 engine.
The Atlet is designed for recovering and towing armored and unarmored vehicles, performing welding and earthmoving tasks, and transporting spare parts and other consumables. It is equipped with a winch and can be fitted with a crane for replacing turrets, engines, transmissions, and other major components.
Armored recovery vehicles play a vital role in keeping armored units operational. However, for budgetary reasons, the BREM-84, like the BM Oplot, was never procured for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, leaving only a single example in the country.
This decision is understandable. Priority was given to repairing, restoring, and modernizing older vehicles — a cheaper and faster way to meet the army's needs than building new ones from scratch.
Today, with Soviet-era reserves nearly exhausted, the demand for such specialized vehicles persists. It is now partly met by Western aid and by converting damaged tanks for recovery purposes.
It is highly unlikely that Atlet production will resume without a renewed decision to produce the BM Oplot. Yet given the current state of Ukraine's defense industry and the focus on more critical capabilities — drones, air defense, and long-range missiles — that prospect seems remote.
As a result, the single BREM-84 in Ukrainian service will likely remain unique — a rare reminder of what might have been, rather than a model for future production.
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