Russia’s Rare Tank Recovery Vehicle Was Built to Rescue Armor—Now It Needs Rescuing

Ukrainian drone operators struck a rare Russian BREM-1 armored recovery vehicle in the temporarily occupied part of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, despite the vehicle being fitted with electronic warfare equipment and anti-drone metal structures.

The strike was carried out by operators of the 2nd Battalion of Ukraine’s 413th Unmanned Systems Regiment, known as “Raid,” according to a statement released by the unit on October 20. The regiment also published footage of the operation but did not specify when the attack took place.

The Russian military reinforced the vehicle with welded metal structures resembling hedgehogs, designed to interfere with incoming drones. It also installed an electronic warfare system intended to disrupt drone operations. The extent of the damage was not immediately disclosed.

The BREM-1 is an armored recovery vehicle based on the T-72 tank chassis. It is designed to recover damaged or immobilized tanks and other heavy military equipment from the battlefield, as well as support field repairs.

The 413th Regiment described such vehicles as being in short supply within the Russian military, noting that Russia’s armored recovery capabilities remain limited compared with the number of tanks in its inventory.

Unlike frontline combat vehicles, armored recovery vehicles play a supporting role in maintaining operational readiness. Their loss can complicate efforts to retrieve damaged tanks, conduct repairs, and return equipment to service.

Earlier, on October 8, Ukrainian forces struck a rare Russian Irbis counter-battery radar system after tracking its movements with a reconnaissance drone. Despite attempts to evade detection by changing positions, the radar was hit after Ukrainian operators relayed its coordinates to nearby units.

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