Ukrainian elite brigade escalates Kursk offensive with advanced arsenal
The 80th Air Assault Brigade has joined the offensive in the Kursk region, potentially causing further complications for the Russians. This brigade is known for being well-trained and well-equipped, utilizing Soviet-era and Western equipment. We explain specifically what kind of equipment is used.
The Centre for Eastern Studies reported that early in the offensive in the Kursk region, the 82nd Air Assault Brigade and the 22nd Mechanized Brigade took part, which are among the best-equipped in the entire Ukrainian army. As Forbes reported, the 80th Air Assault Brigade has also crossed the Russian border; it is considered an elite Ukrainian unit.
Another Ukrainian brigade near Kursk
This development highlights the efficiency and rapid movement of the 80th Air Assault Brigade. As noted in Forbes, the inclusion of the 80th Air Assault Brigade underscores the scale of the Ukrainian operation. Images and videos on social media confirm that this unit has an interesting mix of Soviet-era and Western weaponry.
Among the equipment aiding in breaching Russian territories are T-64BV or T-80BV tanks, UR-77 mine-clearing vehicles, IMR-2 engineering vehicles, BTR-80 armoured personnel carriers and American Stryker vehicles. American journalists claim that "only the 80th Air Assault Brigade has such a combination of Soviet-era and American vehicles."
American vehicles in the Ukrainian offensive
The Stryker is an American armoured vehicle with 8x8 drive and a 350-horsepower engine. On paved surfaces, they can reach speeds of up to 90 km/h.
The armament and additional equipment vary depending on the transporter variant. In the most popular variants, Americans have used a transport section that can hold up to nine soldiers, as well as a Browning M2 12.7 mm machine gun with a range of about 2 km and a Mk 19 40 mm grenade launcher.
It is worth adding, however, that in the Kursk region, a specialized Stryker M1132 variant was also spotted, which is designed to create safe paths in minefields. Such equipment was indispensable during the crossing of the border, which the Russians likely heavily mined. The Stryker M1132 also has an additional feature: it can automatically send information about the safe paths it has cleared to other accompanying vehicles.
