Russian forces in Ukraine are increasingly relying on civilian vehicles for combat operations, Forbes reports.
Recent surveys indicate that armored trucks and civilian vehicles—including vans, compact cars, and golf carts—now account for approximately 70% of Russian vehicle losses in Ukraine. This represents a significant change in the composition of Russian vehicular casualties along the 700-mile front line.
However, Forbes war correspondent David Axe notes that this doesn’t signal a reduction in traditional armored vehicle deployment.
“There are actually more destroyed and abandoned tanks and fighting vehicles dotting the line of contact today than there were a year ago, even as these purpose-made armored vehicles represent a smaller proportion of Russian losses,” he reports.
The data reveals a dramatic escalation in overall vehicle usage and losses. As illustrated by analyst Chris Jones, in February 2024, Russia lost roughly 375 vehicles, with tanks and fighting vehicles making up about half that number. By February 2025, total losses jumped to approximately 1,100 vehicles, with traditional armored vehicles accounting for 250 of these—still a raw increase despite representing a smaller percentage of the total.
Russia grapples with armored vehicle deficits
This trend reflects both the intensification of Russian offensives across multiple sectors and a critical production shortfall. Axe points out that Russian industry produces approximately “200 new BMP-3 fighting vehicles and 90 new T-90M tanks annually,” falling far short of the estimated 6,000 armored vehicles lost annually to Ukrainian mines, artillery, and drones.
While Russia has attempted to bridge this gap by reactivating Cold War-era vehicles from storage, many of these are “older BTR-60s and -70s, and in poor condition” and difficult to return to service, according to open-source analyst Jompy. Specifically regarding BTR wheeled fighting vehicles, open-source analyst Jompy noted, “It looks like Russia still has overall 2,358 stored BTR-60/70/80s out of the 3,673 it had in storage before the war.” However, the poor condition of many of these stored BTRs makes them challenging to reactivate effectively for combat operations.
The resulting reliance on civilian vehicles has become normalized on the battlefield, with analyst Moklasen observing, “this Lada storming is the norm now” after reviewing footage of Ukrainian drone units blowing up Russian compact cars attacking Ukrainian positions in late January.
As the conflict continues into its fourth year, these trends highlight Russia’s adaptation to equipment shortages while maintaining offensive operations. By February 2025, civilian vehicles were accounting for more than two-thirds of Russian losses, even as the absolute number of armored tanks and fighting vehicles in the conflict zone continues to increase.
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