Ukrainians Destroy Russia’s Best Mine-Resistant Kamaz Typhoon Armored Vehicle – According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ukrainian troops have destroyed some of the best-equipped Russian armored vehicles. The Ukrainian military destroyed Kamaz Typhoon vehicles, the “pride of the Russian military-industrial sector,” and one of the most heavily armored vehicles used by the Russian military.
While no information was given about the location of the destroyed vehicles, the attack appears to have taken place sometime between Monday and Tuesday.
“There is no analogue. Pride of Russian OPC – Kamaz Typhoon,” a statement on the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Facebook reads.“Universal armored vehicle of increased security on the original chassis. Belongs to MRAP class cars – protected from landmines and ambushes.”
The statement said that Russian soldiers will have never seen an armored vehicle destroyed to this extent before and that several other armored vehicles were also damaged in the attack.
The update also contained photographs of the damaged vehicles, with one appearing to have taken extreme damage to its exterior, and another appearing completely gutted and warped.
What is the Kamaz Typhoon?
The Kamaz Typhoon is a family of Russian Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) trucks. The trucks were first developed in 2010, and are designed to withstand heavy weaponry and attacks.
The vehicles use a combination of steel and ceramic armor designed to protect those inside the truck from armor-piercing bullets.
Troops rely on the trucks for a wide range of scenarios, offering protection in the event of biological, chemical, and nuclear attacks, and giving troops a safe way to travel during surveillance and reconnaissance. The extreme durability of the vehicle means that they are typically used in armed escort missions, and in this instance, may have been transporting troops from one part of Ukraine to another.
Typhoons are also often used to convoy other vehicles during combat missions.
Given the purpose of the vehicle, and how it’s the most heavily armored vehicle in the Russian Federation’s fleet, Ukraine’s ability to destroy the vehicle symbolizes the danger that Russian troops have found themselves in more than four weeks after the invasion began.
There was no indication from the Ukrainian military on how the truck was destroyed. Given the extent of the destruction, with the metal frames completely warped and the insides gutted and burned, the vehicles may have been damaged by a large explosive on the ground or by an air-to-ground missile.
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
