Ukraine fortifies defense with M113 armored personnel carriers amid vehicle shortage

Ukraine's defense forces have acquired new M113 armored personnel carriers that are designed specifically for rescuing the wounded from the battlefield - according to the information from the Facebook post. There have already been "dozens" of these vehicles delivered, with several hundred more expected to arrive shortly.

However, information regarding which country provided this military assistance is missing from the Ukrainian official's statement. It should be pointed out that, in recent months of the year 2023, the Baltic countries and Spain have handed over this type of transport vehicle to Ukraine.

The most recent batch of M113s are operational, providing support on the front lines. This comes at a crucial time when, according to recent reports, there is a lack of vehicles dedicated to evacuating injured soldiers, including those engaging in combat in Avdiivka.

It's worth noting that the M113 transporters are among the oldest machines in service with the Ukrainian army. They were originally designed for the United States military during the 1960s. As time passed, these vehicles ended up in various armies around the globe, and are now used in over 50 countries.

The M113 is made from 5083 aircraft-grade aluminum alloy, offering protection for a 13-person crew against small arms fire and artillery shell fragments. The vehicle, produced by FMC (Food Machinery Corp.), can reach speeds of nearly 43 mph in favorable conditions and approximately 4 mph when in water. The primary armaments of the M113 are 7.62mm M60 machine guns and 12.7mm M2s.

The potency of these machines has not been lost on the Ukrainian army, which has been utilizing this type of vehicle for many months. They are particularly valued for their ease of repair. One of the platoon commanders of the M113 remarked that, in terms of design, the M113 shares similarities with the popular combine harvesters made by John Deere. This similarity means that maintaining these transport vehicles is relatively straightforward for the Ukrainians. Furthermore, the military has not reported any issues with the availability of spare parts.