Ukrainian defenders receive American-made Cougar MRAP armored vehicles

Ukrainian soldiers of the 82nd Air Assault Brigade have received Cougar MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) armored vehicles. According to Militarnyi, the US delivered them to Ukraine as part of military aid for the war-torn country. Cougar vehicles are equipped with a combination of design features and materials that protect the crew and the engine compartment against a wide range of damages, including from explosive devices and small arms fire. Last March, former Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov published images of the Western armored vehicles, including the Cougar, handed over to the Armed Forces. The transfer of this batch of armored vehicles was announced in December 2022 as part of an extensive $1.85 billion military aid package from the US. At that time, Washington pledged to deliver 37 such armored vehicles to Ukraine as part of the first shipment. The Cougar MRAP is a family of armored vehicles manufactured by Force Protection. Its V-shaped hull can redirect blast wave energy away from the crew, and in various versions, it has a 4x4 or 6x6 wheel configuration. Additionally, the 82nd Air Assault Brigade received Haenel MK 556 rifles sent to Ukraine by the German government.

Ukrainian soldiers receive Haenel MK 556 assault rifles from Germany

Read more: 

• ISW: Lack of clarity on US weapons restrictions for Kyiv enables Russian military threats along Ukraine’s border
• Ukraine’s “hands tied” by US weapons restrictions to strike inside Russia
• The NYT: US debates relaxing restrictions on Ukraine’s use of its weapons to strike targets inside Russia
• Ukraine launches website on Western components in Russian missiles and weapons
• Zelenskyy: restrictions on ATACMS use should be dropped