Growing Russian Attacks in Civilian Cars Lead To Spectacular Explosions - and Death

Russia's now chronic shortage of armored vehicles has now become well known. But rather than change tactics or wait for better equipment, the Russians are simply ordering their cannon fodder troops to attack in unprotected civilian cars and trucks.

The results are often spectacular, but not for the reasons the Kremlin may have hoped: Ukrainian drones, artillery and shoulder-fired weapons destroy with ease the vehicles meant for delivering vegetables or family outings, not for a war zone. JL

David Axe reports in Forbes:

Still short of military vehicles despite the relief in Kursk, many Russian assault groups are riding into battle in Ladas, Buhanka vans, GAZ-69 trucks and other civilian vehicles. Lada assaults often end in disaster as the compact cars run over mines or get peppered by artillery or chased down by explosive FPV drones. One recent Russian assault was notable for how many unprotected vehicles it involved: four ATVs, 10 heavier vehicles, including one open-topped LuAZ-1302 and 31 motorcycles. It’s already suicidal to attack entrenched Ukrainian troops in a Lada. It’s even deadlier when the Lada is packing a TM62 mine with enough explosive to immobilize a tank. It exploded in a fireball 100 feet tall.

A Lada compact car—totally unarmored and weighing just a ton or so—is already pretty vulnerable on the drone-patrolled, artillery-pocked front line of Russia’s 37-month wider war on Ukraine. Toss a 20-pound TM62 anti-tank mine in the back, and a Lada goes from flimsy to catastrophically explosive.

 

After a month-long pause, during which the Kremlin’s priority was to eject a strong Ukrainian force from western Russia’s Kursk Oblast, the Russians are on the attack again outside Pokrovsk, a fortress city in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast. Their supply lines cut, the Ukrainians have retreated from Kursk. That has freed up resources for a fresh Russian push on Pokrovsk.

But the Russians have already squandered some of those resources—a dozen armored vehicles including at least one modern T-90M tank—on a failed push through a swarm of drones on Thursday. Still short of modern vehicles despite the relief in Kursk, many Russian assault groups are riding into battle in Ladas, Buhanka vans, GAZ-69 trucks and other civilian vehicles.

“Assault time,” analyst Andrew Perpetua mused. “Everyone into the Lada.”

Lada assaults often end in disaster for their drivers and passengers as the 16-foot-long compact cars run over mines or get peppered by artillery or chased down by explosive first-person-view drones.

The Lada right before it explodes.

Via Moklasen

Atomization

 

Where a 40-ton tank might shrug off a dozen FPVs before succumbing to the 13th drone, an Lada—even one with an add-on anti-drone cage—rarely survives a single strike. Moreover, the cars are prone to getting mired on the soft spring soil in Ukraine, making them especially easy targets.

It’s already practically suicidal to attack entrenched Ukrainian troops in a Lada. It’s even deadlier when the Lada is, for some reason, packing a TM62 mine with enough explosive potential to immobilize a tank. “Anti-tank mines in your Lada can get you atomized really quickly,” explained analyst Moklasen.

Lada-atomization is exactly what happened when a Russian regiment attacked a few miles south of Pokrovsk on March 19. Russian troops often carve that backs off their assault cars’ cabs in order to facilitate a quick exit, so there was nothing but a possible thin screen to stop an FPV that barreled toward the anti-tank mine resting in the back of one idling Lada.

It exploded in a fireball that may have been 100 feet tall. The 1952-vintage GAZ-69 truck that Russian forces in Ukraine are adding to their inventory as stocks of purpose-made combat vehicles continue to decline isn’t a good vehicle—at least, not for its new mission hauling Russian infantry into battle across the drone-patrolled, mine-infested, artillery-pocked no-man’s-land.

 

But at least it has a hard top that might offer some protection from the elements, if not from a 100-pound artillery shell. The same can’t be said of another Soviet-vintage civilian-style vehicle that recently appeared on the Russian side of the 700-mile front line of Russia’s 37-month wider war on Ukraine: the LuAZ-1302.

Ironically, the light off-road truck is a Ukrainian product, built between 1966 and 1992 at a pair of factories in southern and northern Ukraine.

As Russian losses of armored vehicles crest 20,000 in three years, far outstripping the capacity of Russian industry to directly replace each wrecked tank, infantry fighting vehicle and armored personnel carrier, Russian regiments routinely attack on foot or in civilian cars, vans, trucks, all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles.

The aftermath of the 31-bike assault, featuring a turquoise LuAZ-1302.

Via Moklasen

Bike attack

But one recent Russian assault was notable for how many unprotected vehicles it involved: four ATVs, 10 heavier vehicles, including at least one open-topped LuAZ-1302 and a startling 31 motorcycles.

 

Ukrainian drones and artillery made quick work of the assault group. And as the smoke and dust cleared and the Russian survivors ran and crawled back toward their lines, the 3,000-pound LuAZ-1302—damaged and immobilized—stood out for its bright turquoise paint job. “Rare turquoise assault Lada unlocked,” quipped analyst Moklasen, mistaking the LuAZ-1302 for a Lada compact car.

Given how many Ladas have rolled toward Ukrainian positions, usually on a one-way mission, the mistake is forgivable.

 

The 1952-vintage GAZ-69 truck that Russian forces in Ukraine are adding to their inventory as stocks of purpose-made combat vehicles continue to decline isn’t a good vehicle—at least, not for its new mission hauling Russian infantry into battle across the drone-patrolled, mine-infested, artillery-pocked no-man’s-land.