The Kharkiv Regional Military Administration announced that Ukrainian scouts received a couple of Dozor-B vehicles fully equipped for combat missions. The Dozor-B has been in service since 2016 and it was designed in 2004-2007. However, these two vehicles are said to have been improved by specialists in Kharkiv.
Dozor-B is a light armoured vehicle, weighing around 6.3 tonnes. Image credit: VoidWanderer via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The Dozor-B is definitely not a new armoured vehicle. It was first revealed in 2004. The development took three years and was largely complete in 2007. There were some pauses in the development and the preparation for production, but in 2016 the Dozor-B entered service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Dozor-B is a light armoured vehicle with good off-road ability. It is made with special operations units in mind as well as for border security, reconnaissance, patrolling, and peace-keeping operations. It can serve as a command vehicle, medevac vehicle, troop transporter. It is just an off-roader with a good level of protection.
The Dozor-B is 5.4 metres long and weighs around 6.3 tonnes. Its crew consists of 3 people and it can carry up to 8 troops inside. The Dozor-B is powered by an Iveco 8142.38.11 or a Deutz BF 4M 1013 FC turbocharged diesel engine, capable of around 190 HP of power. Its maximum speed is around 10 km/h on the road. Of course, naturally, the Dozor-B is very good off-road too, thanks to its 4×4 chassis.
Probably the most important feature of the Dozor-B is its armour. It is strong enough to withstand small arms fire and, more importantly, provides good protection from anti-tank mines.
This capability is extremely important in Ukraine as this country has become the most mine-polluted country in the world. In terms of armament, the Dozor-B has a 12.7 mm remote-controlled anti-aircraft NSVT machine gun. Thanks to its advanced night vision capabilities the Dozor-B can operate during the dark times of the day too.
However, the Dozor-B vehicles that were now given to the Ukrainian reconnaissance specialists are improved and we don’t know in what way.
2016 Ukrainian postage stamp with the Dozor-B. Image credit: Ukrposhta via Wikimedia
“We cannot talk about all the advantages of the car, but the Russian occupiers must “like” them. In particular, its armour: protection against mines, small arms fire, etc.”, said Oleh Syniehubov, the head of the Kharkiv Regional Civil-Military Administration.
We can only hope that the defenders of Ukraine will manage to surprise the Russian invaders with these domestically produced vehicles.
Written by Povilas M.
Sources: Kharkivoda.gov.ua, Wikipedia