Russian BMP‑3 with 'To Berlin' inscription destroyed in Ukraine
Photos of an unusual Russian BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle, destroyed by an explosion, have appeared on social media. The machine noticed in the Donetsk region bears the inscription "To Berlin".
The BMP-3 is the most modern infantry fighting vehicle produced in Russia. It's unclear when and under what circumstances the photo of its wreck was taken. The image was shared by the Russian state news agency TASS, as reported by the Russian independent news portal Meduza. According to the reports, the photo shows one of the military vehicles destroyed while fighting for the Ukrainian city of Selydove.
Russian BMP-3 with an unusual inscription
Inscriptions on military equipment or weapons used during the war in Ukraine are commonplace. Generally, they are "greetings" to opponents, the names of the fallen, or references to various places and current events, rather than allusions to countries not directly involved in the conflict. For example, at the end of October 2024, a photo of the OFAB-250 bomb was published on social media. Russian soldiers used it to convey their message to the Russian authorities.
The inscription on the aforementioned bomb read: "Dear Ministry of Defence, I'm a FAB with UMPK. Soon I will fly to destroy the occupiers in the Kursk region. I'm concerned about my crew, who haven't received their operation bonus since August. Fix it! P.S. You can make mistakes, but you can't lie."
Work on the BMP-3 began shortly after the introduction of the BMP-2, and it adopted many design elements from it, especially in the chassis area. Serial production commenced in 1986, and the vehicle quickly landed in the Russian army. Despite issues with component deliveries and Western sanctions, the BMP-3 is still reaching the front lines, as shown by recent deliveries from the Rostec conglomerate.
The BMP-3 is a modern infantry fighting vehicle with significantly more advanced technical specifications than its predecessor, the BMP-2. Equipped with a modernised UTD-29M engine generating 500 horsepower, it can reach speeds of up to 70 km/h (43 mph) on land and 10 km/h (6 mph) in water.
The vehicle also has a range of up to 600 km (373 miles) with a full tank. The BMP-3's armament consists of a combination of two cannons, the 100 mm 2A70 and the 30 mm 2A72, supported by a 7.62 mm PKT machine gun. The front armour of the vehicle is designed to protect against shells up to 30 mm in calibre, although the overall weight suggests it may be less resilient than the official data claims.
