The National Police of Ukraine has announced that it has received a batch of armored vehicles from its American allies. These vehicles are designed to be used by investigative teams to document war crimes committed by Russia, including in the war zone.
The vehicles were provided by the U.S. government as part of the international assistance project “Strengthening the Capabilities of the National Police of Ukraine to Counter Russian Invasion and Protect Civilians.” Eight full-size armored Toyota Hilux pickups that meet the BR6 X protection class were delivered to investigators in eight regions: Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Sumy, Chernihiv and Kharkiv regions.
“These armored vehicles will not only help police officers perform their duties, but will also protect the personnel. Unfortunately, during the full-scale war, we lost many of our officers, and many of them were injured,” emphasized Maksym Tsutskiridze, First Deputy Head of the National Police of Ukraine, on the need for such vehicles.
The specialized equipment will improve the safety of law enforcement officers during investigative actions. Protection class BR6 guarantees compliance of the body and glass with European standards EN 1522/23 and EN 1063. The thick bulletproof glass is 40-42 mm thick.
Technical characteristics of armored vehicles of protection class BR6 X:
- The doors, side panels, roof, front and rear parts of the passenger compartment capsule, battery and engine control unit are protected by 6.5 mm thick steel.
- The vehicle is able to withstand fire from assault rifles, including M-16 and AK-47, as well as fragmentation hand grenades and explosive devices at a distance of up to 3 meters from the vehicle.
- The vehicle’s protection can withstand not only two DM51 (German Norm) hand grenades, but also an anti-personnel mine.
- The armor covers the sides, doors, roof, and includes composites laid under the floor and around the gas tank to protect passengers from explosives. All the wheels, including the spare, are equipped with the Run Flat Tyre System, which enables the vehicle to continue driving with punctured tires out of the shelling zone.
Senior Counselor for Law Enforcement Affairs at the U.S. Embassy Odie Holloway assured the audience of the support of the Ukrainian police: “We are helping you, but your contribution to defeating the enemy is invaluable. We are very grateful for your work and are ready to support you.”
