YouTube/@Militarnyi
- The Azov Brigade has tested a new Ukrainian armored vehicle, according to Militarnyi.
- The Inguar-3, a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected, or MRAP, vehicle, was trialed in Luhansk.
- Ukraine has relied on Western-supplied MRAPs, but could soon send its own vehicles to the front.
Ukraine's battle-hardened Azov Brigade has tested a new Ukrainian armored vehicle, according to the Ukrainian military website Militarnyi.
In an undated video published by Inguar Defence, soldiers belonging to the 6th Battalion of the 12th Special Purpose Brigade Azov are seen driving the Inguar-3 in a forest in Luhansk.
"Equipped with independent suspension, locking differentials, a tire inflation system, and EW devices, the vehicle stood up to the harsh realities of modern combat," the company said.
The Inguar-3 was unveiled earlier this year.
At the time, the company described the Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected, or MRAP, vehicle as a "light tactical vehicle designed to excel in various military environments."
It said it was developed with the help of Ukraine's special forces, "following wartime requirements."
The military news website Defence Blog reported that the vehicle has a 356-horsepower engine, multiple cameras, and night-vision capabilities, along with steel and aluminum armor that protects its occupants without adding much weight.
Militarnyi reported that the vehicle was mounted with radio-electronic jamming gear designed to stop drones, made by the Ukrainian company Quertus.
Ukraine has so far relied on Western-provided MRAPs like the US-made MaxxPro during its fightback against Russia's invasion.
The vehicles have played a key role in protecting Ukrainian soldiers from mines and other explosives on the front lines; Ukraine is believed to be one of the most heavily mined countries in the world.
Ukraine had received more than 1,160 MRAPs from its allies, according to open-source intelligence site Oryx.
Ukraine has used them for battlefield transports, combined-arms formations with tanks, direct attacks on Russian positions, and to protect civilians near the front lines.
A video shared by Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, in May appeared to show a MaxxPro surviving a series of direct Russian blasts in Ukraine's Donetsk.
And in June last year, a Ukrainian soldier told The Times that two of his unit's MaxxPros were hit by shelling and mortar fire in Kherson but that "everyone inside survived."
While Ukrainian soldiers commended the Inguar-3's ground clearance and the protection it offered, per Militarnyi, they said the vehicle needed room for additional soldiers, and mounts for personal weapons.
They also said its antennas could sustain damage and catch on obstructions in a wooded area, the outlet reported, with Inguar and Quertus reportedly working on upgrades.