Ukrainians destroy rare Russian armored vehicle designed to transport Russian leaders in case of nuclear, biological or chemical attack

Ukraine has destroyed a rare Russian armored vehicle first used in the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Russia has sent an extremely rare Ladoga armored personnel carrier to Ukraine, originally designed to provide VIP transportation for Soviet officials during the Cold War in the event of a potential nuclear, biological or chemical attack. Furthermore, the vehicle appears to have become yet another victim of a Ukrainian first-person-view (FPV) drone attack, presumably being destroyed.

Images of the attack on Ladoga were first posted on the Telegram channel of the 63rd Ukrainian Mechanized Brigade on March 21. Although the exact time and location of the filming cannot be detailed with certainty, it appears that the 63rd Mechanized Brigade was involved in combat – along with soldiers from the 60th and 93rd Mechanized Brigades, near the city of Liman, Donetsk Region – around the time it the recording was originally posted.

The Soviet-era vehicle was designed in the 1970s to transport senior Kremlin personnel in the event of a major nuclear, biological or chemical attack and was built using the chassis of a T-80 main battle tank.

It was also meant to function as a temporary command and control hub if any of these scenarios were to occur.

As for the known history of the Ladoga, the KB-3 of the Kirov plant in Leningrad, known today as the Spetsmasch, began designing what would become the Ladoga in the late 1970s. The project requirements stated that the vehicle was to be based on existing technologies and provide robust protection against potential nuclear, biological and chemical contamination.

Factory designers chose the T-80’s chassis as a starting point and retained the 1,250 horsepower GTD-1250 gas turbine engine of the T-80U variant, which entered service in 1976.

Beyond this, changes have been made to both the exterior and interior of the vehicle. Externally, the Ladoga lost the T-80’s gun turret. A newly designed superstructure and interior cabin was created. Access to the interior of the vehicle was provided through roof hatches as well as a side door with integrated steps. In general, with modifications, Ladoga was about 42 tons.

It could carry four people inside. One half of the cabin was a control area, along with the driver’s seat. The other was reserved for high-profile passengers. The interior of the vehicle is believed to have been fitted with what has been described as an “anti-neuron lining”, along with other modifications, to protect against radiation in the event of a nuclear incident. An environmental control system capable of keeping airborne contamination at bay was also a central feature.

The most famous and possibly only operational use of the Ladoga was during the Chornobyl disaster in late April 1986. A Ladoga numbered “317” was moved from Leningrad to Kiev in early May of that year. A special detachment conducted reconnaissance at the Chornobyl power plant following the incident using that vehicle until the fall of 1986. After the completion of that operation the vehicle, 317 was decontaminated and returned to Leningrad.

But manufacturer LKZ built no more than four or five, including the prototype, which was shipped around the country for further testing.

Its appearance on the Ukrainian battlefield draws attention to Russia’s problems in replacing its current tank fleet, which has taken a hit since the war began two years ago.

Vladimir Putin’s forces have lost 6,904 tanks since they invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, according to an estimate from sources in Kiev.

To combat this, Moscow officials pulled old tanks, some from the 1950s, out of storage. The Telegram channel AFV Recognition writes that of all the vehicles that were taken out of storage and used by Russia in this war, this was the last one on the list that he thought of, let alone destroyed.”

Russia has claimed to have ramped up production of new tanks since the start of the war to replace those lost in combat.

But experts believe the military is actually repairing older equipment that has been in storage since the end of the Cold War or perhaps even earlier.