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Amid Crushing Losses, Russia Deploys Upgraded BMPT Terminator to Shield Dying Armored Formations
Russia has begun deploying upgraded BMPT Terminator armored vehicles to Ukraine, a rare battlefield reinforcement aimed at shielding its tank forces from drones and anti-tank teams after suffering heavy losses. The new variants feature reinforced armor, electronic warfare systems, and drone-countermeasures, underscoring Moscow’s push to adapt its formations for urban combat and attrition-heavy assaults.
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Russia has begun fielding a new batch of BMPT “Terminator” armored vehicles in Ukraine, equipped with reinforced armor and electronic warfare systems designed to counter the growing drone threat, defense media outlet Army Recognition reported on October 2.
The move underscores Moscow’s shift toward survivability upgrades and combined-arms formations as it struggles with mounting battlefield losses.
🇷🇺 BMPT Terminator pic.twitter.com/PJWfGOZR8H
— Leandro Romão 🇵🇹 (@leandroOnX) April 18, 2025
A Vehicle built for suppression
The BMPT, built on a T-72 chassis by Uralvagonzavod, was designed after the costly lessons of Chechnya and Syria. It carries a dense weapons mix: twin 30 mm autocannons with nearly 850 ready rounds, four Ataka-T guided missiles, a coaxial machine gun, and paired grenade launchers.
This loadout allows the vehicle to engage infantry, drones, and light armor at ranges up to 6 km, while its elevation authority lets gunners target rooftops and windows that main battle tanks cannot easily reach.
Army Recognition notes that factory footage and recent frontline imagery reveal new roof cages, slat armor, and thicker side skirts, as well as a compact electronic warfare suite intended to jam radio-controlled drones.
A refreshed fire-control system now allows the commander and gunner to prosecute separate targets simultaneously, creating overlapping suppressive fire in dense urban environments.
🤔 Remember the Russian almighty BMPT Terminator?
— Ukraine War Now ✙ (@uarealitynow) February 9, 2023
Here you go… it is being grilled (watch till the end for the ka-boom 🔥)#BMPT #Terminator #NAFO pic.twitter.com/sH3dMsd8VC
Cover for tanks in urban combat
The BMPT’s mission is to escort tanks and assault engineers, suppressing anti-tank missile teams, RPG cells, and light vehicles so that main battle tanks can conserve their 125 mm rounds for hardened targets.
It’s sustained cannon and grenade fire blankets trenches and dead ground where Ukrainian drone operators and recoilless rifle teams often hide.
According to Army Recognition, with new EW systems, the BMPT is also expected to act as a first line of defense against loitering munitions and first-person-view drones, absorbing attacks that could cripple Russian tank units before they reach their objectives.
Ukraine’s answer
Ukrainian tank fleets—from older T-64s to Leopard 2A6s supplied by Europe—offer superior long-range firepower, optics, and mobility in open terrain.
But they lack the BMPT’s ability to combine multiple weapons simultaneously against infantry in dense urban settings.
Analysts caution, however, that BMPTs remain vulnerable if deployed without infantry or tank support, especially in mined or drone-saturated avenues. Their effectiveness depends on integration with T-90Ms, engineers, and reconnaissance units in tightly coordinated assaults.
A fleet of Ukrainian Leopard 2A4 tanks. Take note of the ERA bricks.
— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) September 2, 2023
Source: https://t.co/vFcfwINMUe#Ukraine pic.twitter.com/mijepFPgeD
Strategy under sanctions
Moscow’s renewed investment in the Terminator points to a pragmatic adaptation under sanctions and attrition pressure. Instead of waiting to replenish its tank fleets, Russia is thickening its existing formations with survivability upgrades and niche support platforms like the BMPT.
Kyiv, in turn, is expected to respond with more precision drone strikes, top-attack profiles, and counter-electronic warfare tactics to blunt the vehicle’s edge.
The real measure of the Terminator will not be on parade grounds but in Ukraine’s block-by-block fighting, where suppression, sensors, and electronic defenses increasingly decide who holds ground at day’s end.
Earlier, reports emerged that Russia was ramping up its war machine at breakneck speed, with plans to produce 2,500 missiles, nearly 250 tanks, 1,100 armored vehicles, and 57 advanced fighter jets by the end of the year.
