The British "Bulldog" has become a guardian angel on the front line. The 12th Azov Brigade soldiers have given the FV432 armored personnel carrier (APC) a second life, not as a combat vehicle but as a high-tech medical evacuation unit.
The FV432, a British analogue of the American M113, was originally produced in the 1960s, Militarnyi reports. Volunteers recover decommissioned vehicles from private owners in the UK and bring them to Ukraine.
But to make it more than just a “box on tracks,” it took skilled hands and sharp minds, exactly what the Azov fighters brought.
"We got these vehicles that we can drive to the front line and quickly evacuate the wounded," says driver-mechanic, known as Bielyi.
A "super project" built from scratch: from shell to mobile hospital
The Bulldog was initially empty, just old, unsecured seats. The soldiers completely rebuilt the interior for medical use.
"We turned to the guys, and they helped us build what I’d call a super project," Bielyi says.
They stripped the lining and painted it white to better detect blood and dirt. They added tourniquet organizers, stretcher mounts, an autonomous diesel heater, an oxygen concentrator, lighting, and surveillance cameras with a better angle than the standard periscope.
Evacuation under fire: the key is saving lives
According to Bielyi, the key advantages are the tracked chassis and strong armor, which can withstand RPG fire. This makes it possible to evacuate the wounded under dangerous conditions without getting stuck in mud.
"The machine is as simple as a bicycle. To learn to drive it takes about 7 to 15 minutes," he jokes.
He concludes that evacuation will be more efficient, faster, and higher-quality, which means one thing: more lives will be saved.
