Profile
- Type
- Tracked amphibious infantry fighting vehicle
- Conflict side
- Russia
- Origin
- Soviet Union / Russia
- Service note
- Entered Soviet service in the late Cold War and remains in Russian service
Armored Vehicles
BMP-3
The BMP-3 is a Soviet-designed, Russian-built tracked amphibious infantry fighting vehicle notable for combining a 100 mm gun-launcher, 30 mm autocannon, and machine guns in a light armored troop carrier. In the Russia-Ukraine War it has appeared in Russian mechanized formations and fire-support roles, where its heavy armament is useful but its protection remains vulnerable to anti-armor weapons and drones.
- Conflict side
- Russia
- Built by
- Kurganmashzavod
- Built in
- Russia
Service History
- In service
- 1987-present
- Used by
- Russian Ground Forces
- Wars
- Russia-Ukraine War
Production History
- Designer
- A. Blagonravov design bureau
- Designed
- 1970s-1980s
- Built by
- Kurganmashzavod
- Built in
- Russia
- Unit cost
- Not reliably published
- Produced
- Late 1980s-present
- Number built
- More than 2,000 reported
- Variants
- BMP-3, BMP-3M, BMP-3F
Specifications
- Crew
- 3 crew plus 7 passengers, with two additional seats noted in export specifications
- Combat weight
- 18.7 t
- Primary armament
- 2A70 100 mm gun-launcher and 2A72 30 mm automatic cannon
- Secondary armament
- Three 7.62 mm PKTM machine guns
- Engine
- UTD-29T multifuel diesel, 450 hp in Rosoboronexport specifications
- Mobility
- 70 km/h on paved roads, 10 km/h afloat
- Operational range
- 600 km
Conflict Usage
- Russia-Ukraine War
- Side: Russia
Russian forces have used BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles in Ukraine, including documented fire-support employment in the Kupyansk direction and visually confirmed combat losses during the full-scale invasion.
BMP-3 Images
Related Weapon Systems
AMX-10PTracked amphibious infantry fighting vehicleThe AMX-10P is a French tracked amphibious infantry fighting vehicle built by GIAT Industries to carry mechanized infantry with a 20 mm autocannon and light armor protection. Its Russia-Ukraine War entry is included with caution: late-2024 reporting tied the vehicle to Ukrainian operations around Kursk, while other defense reporting disputed both official transfer evidence and the Russian identification.
BTR-48x8 wheeled armored personnel carrier / infantry fighting vehicleThe BTR-4 Bucephalus is a Ukrainian 8x8 armored personnel carrier and infantry fighting vehicle built around a rear troop compartment, amphibious mobility, and remote weapon stations such as the BM-7 Parus. In Ukrainian service it provides protected movement and direct fire support with a 30 mm cannon, machine gun, grenade launcher, and anti-tank missile capability.
Bandvagn 206Articulated tracked all-terrain carrierThe Bandvagn 206 is a Swedish articulated tracked all-terrain carrier developed by Hagglunds for military mobility in snow, marsh, and other soft ground. Its two powered tracked units and amphibious layout make it useful as a troop, cargo, command, ambulance, or specialist support vehicle; Germany has documented deliveries of BV206 vehicles to Ukraine during the Russia-Ukraine War.
BMD-1Airborne amphibious infantry fighting vehicleThe BMD-1 is a Soviet airborne infantry fighting vehicle built for paratroop units, combining a very light amphibious tracked chassis with the BMP-1-style 73 mm 2A28 Grom gun and anti-tank missile armament. Its low weight and hydropneumatic suspension made it air-droppable, but the same design priorities left limited armor protection. In the Russia-Ukraine War archive, it is documented through Ukrainian Air Assault Forces service around Kramatorsk and Sloviansk in 2014.
BMD-2Airborne infantry fighting vehicleThe BMD-2 is a Soviet airborne infantry fighting vehicle built for paratrooper units, combining a very light amphibious tracked chassis with a 30 mm 2A42 cannon and anti-tank missile launcher. Its air-droppable design gives Russian VDV formations mobile fire support, but the same weight limits leave the vehicle lightly protected against modern anti-armor weapons and artillery fragments documented in Ukraine.
BMD-4/BMD-4MAirborne amphibious infantry fighting vehicleThe BMD-4/BMD-4M is a Russian airborne amphibious infantry fighting vehicle built for VDV units, combining a light, parachutable tracked chassis with the Bakhcha-U turret's 100 mm gun-launcher, 30 mm autocannon, and coaxial machine gun. In the Russia-Ukraine War it appears as a Russian airborne assault vehicle, with open-source loss documentation and later production batches showing how Russia has continued fielding and modifying the type for a drone- and artillery-heavy battlefield.Sources
BMP-3 Infantry Fighting VehiclePublisher: Rosoboronexport | Note: Official export page supporting BMP-3 role, armament, mobility, crew capacity, and other specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-20BMP-3 Russian Amphibious Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV)Publisher: ODIN OE Data Integration Network | Note: U.S. Army ODIN reference page supporting general vehicle role, armament, and threat-recognition context. | Accessed: 2026-06-20BMP-3 IFVPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Reference entry supporting Kurganmashzavod manufacturing attribution, vehicle role, and general specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Russia's BMP-3 role in Ukraine is shifting to indirect fire support vehiclePublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Directly supports Russia-Ukraine War use of Russian BMP-3 vehicles in fire-support roles near the Kupyansk direction. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The Russian Invasion Of UkrainePublisher: Oryx | Note: Directly supports Russia-Ukraine War context through visually documented Russian BMP-3 combat losses and captures. | Accessed: 2026-06-20File:BMP-3.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the primary BMP-3 image, credited to the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation and licensed CC BY 4.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-20File:BMP-3 (1).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the secondary gallery image, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 with VRT permission recorded by Wikimedia Commons. | Accessed: 2026-06-20