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Ukraine Builds 300 Predator War Buggies From Soviet Lada Parts to Fight Russia
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Ukraine is reviving the concept of the lightweight battlefield vehicle with the production of more than 300 “Predator” off-road buggies, many of them built using components from aging Soviet-era VAZ-2121 Lada Niva vehicles, according to Defensa y Aviación on February 8.
For decades, compact military transports such as the original Jeep and the Ford MUTT were gradually replaced by heavier, better-protected platforms.
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Modern warfare—particularly reconnaissance missions, rapid maneuver operations, and airborne deployments—continues to demand small, fast, and highly mobile vehicles.
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine’s military urgently needed similar mobility solutions—not only to expand operational flexibility but also to replace battlefield losses of heavier vehicles.
In 2023, a volunteer-driven initiative launched the Predator buggy. Builders frequently repurpose engines and wheels from older Soviet off-road vehicles, creating a low-cost but effective transport tailored to frontline realities.
According to the Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi, “In nearly three years, the team has assembled and delivered more than 300 all-wheel-drive off-road vehicles to military units. The buggies are constantly improved, and production costs continue to fall; the project now produces one vehicle per day.”
The vehicles are already in service with Ukraine’s Armed Forces, National Guard, special operations units, and even firefighting teams.
Designed for battlefield practicality, the Predator features a folding rear panel that can carry cargo or unfold into a stretcher for evacuating wounded soldiers. Some versions can also be fitted with a roof-mounted machine-gun position, adding basic combat capability to the lightweight frame.
Earlier, Ukrainian Armor commenced serial production of the VOLS military buggies, a major step toward equipping the front with agile, cost-efficient vehicles built specifically for combat conditions.
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