When You’re Out of IFVs: Russia Sends Modified PTS-2s Into Assaults

Russian forces have begun modifying a PTS-2 amphibious tracked transporter into a makeshift assault vehicle, according to images shared by OSINT analyst The Dead District on X on December 15.

The photos show the normally unarmored transporter fitted with a metal lattice covering the open cargo area, while large sections of the hull appear to be wrapped in rubber sheeting, likely intended to reduce damage from shrapnel and blast fragments.

Additional wiring visible along the vehicle’s front suggests an improvised counter-FPV measure, designed to trigger a drone’s warhead before impact, potentially reducing its lethality.

According to Ukrainian defense media Militarnyi, the PTS-2—short for Plavayushchiy Transportyor Sredniy—is a Soviet-designed amphibious tracked transporter introduced in 1973 and based on the T-64 tank chassis. The vehicle weighs roughly 24 tons and can carry up to 20 tons on land or 12 tons on water, allowing it to transport as many as 75 troops or light vehicles across difficult terrain.

Powered by a 710-horsepower V-46-5 diesel engine, the PTS-2 can reach speeds of 60–80 km/h on land and approximately 13 km/h in water, with an operational range of about 500 kilometers. The standard crew consists of two personnel, and its original armament is limited to a 7.62-mm PKB machine gun.

The platform saw extensive service in the Soviet Army and was exported to countries including Poland, Iraq, Syria, and Egypt. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the PTS-2 remained in service across multiple post-Soviet militaries.

The apparent conversion of the PTS-2 into an assault transport underscores Russia’s continued efforts to adapt legacy vehicles for frontline use as battlefield conditions evolve and losses mount, Militarnyi noted.

Earlier, a Russian armored vehicle recently destroyed by Ukraine’s “Magyar’s Birds” drone unit turned out to be a converted cash-in-transit truck.

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