Russians Deploy Restored British-made Ukrainian Armored Personnel Carrier

The Russians claim to have put into operation a British-made FV-103 Spartan Armored Personnel Carrier that was restored after being captured in a damaged condition from Ukrainian armed forces.

Servicemen from the 200th Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Leningrad Military District captured the APC in the Artemovsk direction. The troops, operating as part of the "South" group, not only seized the vehicle but also successfully restored it to working condition, Russian state media reported.

According to a serviceman with the call sign Cheryomukha, the capture was made possible through the combined efforts of assault units, scouts, artillerymen, and UAV operators.

The vehicle, a CV series model 103, is designed for transporting personnel and is typically used by anti-tank guided missile crews, anti-aircraft gunners, and medics for evacuation purposes.

The FV103 Spartan is a tracked armored personnel carrier used by the British Army, capable of carrying up to seven personnel, including three crew members. It is armed with a single machine gun and is part of the CVR(T) family of combat reconnaissance vehicles, which includes the Scorpion and Scimitar light tanks, Striker self-propelled anti-tank missile launcher, and Sultan command vehicle.

As per various reports, Ukraine is said to have received more than 50 FV103 Spartan APCs.

The first batch of FV103 Spartan APCs arrived in Ukraine in December 2022. In March 2023, 25 British FV103 Spartan and FV432 armored vehicles arrived in Ukraine, acquired through the Unite with Ukraine Initiative of the Ukrainian World Congress. In May 2023, the Prytula Foundation procured an additional 40 FV103 Spartan personnel carriers.