Ukraine's Defense Ministry approves deeply modernized BTR-60 Khorunzhyi APC for military use

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense has officially certified and approved for supply the deeply modernized BTR-60 Khorunzhyi armored personnel carrier, according to an announcement on the ministry’s website. This decision allows for the potential procurement of these vehicles using state budget funds and their deployment within the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The base model, the BTR-60, was the first in a series of Soviet eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers (APCs) developed in the late 1950s. The APC was considered obsolete by the 1980s. As of 2011, Ukraine had up to 1,000 mothballed BTR-60s in various versions. With adequate funding, Ukraine could significantly enhance its APC fleet by modernizing these vehicles.

The Khorunzhyi is the Soviet-era BTR-60’s significant upgrade, developed by the Ukrainian company NVO Praktyka. First unveiled to the public in 2021, the vehicle features a new armored hull that improves layout and ballistic protection without increasing mass to the PZSA-4 armor level, according to Militarnyi

A BTR-60B. Source: Ukraine's Ministry of Defense. — A BTR-60B. Source: Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense.

. The armor class PZSA-4 refers to “against medium activity weapons, class 4,” which includes 7.62mm and 5.45mm firearms.

The Ministry notes that key improvements include perimeter protection against 7.62mm steel-core bullets and frontal armor capable of withstanding large-caliber machine gun fire from a distance of 10 meters. The hull’s bottom design and special anti-mine seats protect the crew from explosive devices equivalent to 6 kg of TNT.

Khorunzhyi APC, Ukraine’s deep modernization of the BTR-60 from the late 1950s. Photo: Ukrainian Defense Ministry.

The modernized APC features a contemporary design with the engine compartment positioned at the front right, the driver’s compartment at the front left, and a larger troop compartment at the rear. It is outfitted with modern electronics, video cameras, air conditioning, and an autonomous generator for operation without the main engine. The Khorunzhyi is available in six variants: standard APC, troop carrier, medical evacuation, repair and recovery, command and control, and self-propelled mortar carrier.

The Khorunzhyi features a significant power upgrade, replacing the original two 90-horsepower gasoline engines with a single 330-horsepower diesel engine. This new powerplant enables the vehicle to reach speeds over 80 km/h and provides a range exceeding 500 kilometers.

While a prototype was spotted at a Ukrainian military training ground in 2023 during the full-scale Russian invasion, the vehicle has not yet been deployed in active service.

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Ukraine’s Defense Ministry approves deeply modernized BTR-60 Khorunzhyi APC for military use