Chinese off‑road vehicles seen en route to Kursk, hint at strategy
The Defence Express portal reported that the Atesh guerrilla group spotted Chinese Desertcross 1000-3 off-road vehicles on their way to Kursk.
The Atesh guerrilla group reports that they have seen a transport of small Chinese Desertcross 1000-3 off-road vehicles heading towards Kursk. A convoy of military transporters with these vehicles was spotted on the M-4 motorway between Rostov-on-Don and Voronezh.
According to reports, the movement of these vehicles to Kursk may suggest preparations for raid and sabotage missions near the border with Ukraine. Analysts from Defense Express do not rule out the possibility that this could also reflect a broader strategy to use these mobile and light platforms in frontline operations.
Russians are relocating small Desertcross vehicles
The Desertcross 1000-3 are versatile vehicles often used for patrols, reconnaissance, raids, supply transport, and evacuation of the wounded. The Russian Ministry of Defence has already incorporated 537 such units into its arsenal, and by the end of 2024, it plans to purchase nearly 1,600 more units.
The Desertcross 1000-3 vehicle is lightweight, mounted on a dual-axle chassis with four-wheel drive. It's powered by a petrol engine that generates 87 hp. The engine can accelerate the vehicle to 80 km/h, while a fully fueled Desertcross can cover a distance of 250 km.
The vehicle features an open design with no protection to shield the crew from firearms. Its overall length does not exceed 3.4 metres, while its width reaches a maximum of 1.8 metres. The height is 1.8 metres with a ground clearance of 0.3 metres. Additionally, this equipment used by the Russians is lightweight, weighing just 1,050 kg (approximately 2,315 pounds). Its payload capacity is 550 kg (approximately 1,213 pounds).
