Putin sends “Volga” armored train “armed to the teeth” to Ukraine Blinken calls on Israelis and Palestinians to de-escalate

Russia has sent an armored train to Ukraine. This has been confirmed by the Ministry of Defense. The crew of the train, named after the Volga River, would be used for technical reconnaissance and mine clearance, as well as destroying military targets in the air and on the ground.

“This massive armament complex enables soldiers to work in even the most difficult conditions,” the ministry said in a statement. “It’s a real armored train, armed to the teeth.” The train is equipped with machine guns, but also with anti-aircraft missiles, according to the Ukrainian military website Defense Express.

However, apparently drones can also be launched from the train, illuminating the area when it stops. Videos on social networks and from the Russian Ministry of Defense show that Putin’s armored trains are a combination of open and closed wagons. They have thick armor which is said to be 20 millimeters.

Some wagons are mounted with machine guns and artillery pieces that are operated by soldiers. In addition, KA-52 and Мі-8 helicopters must follow the train from the air. According to the Defense Express website, the train can travel between 35 and 40 kilometers per hour.

“During the journey, we detect low-flying aircraft and can destroy them at a distance of 1.5 kilometers. Fortified positions and lightly armored ground vehicles can also be attacked from up to 2.5 kilometers away. We also support our boys – this is the most basic task of our platoon,” said the Russian news agency RIA. A soldier named Vyacheslav, who is the head of anti-aircraft defense on one of the armored trains, described the platoon’s capabilities. .

The leader of the special train «Amur», Sergei, said: «He is a protection. The armor is designed to withstand explosions from explosives on the railway. Our train leaves before others arrive. He also has equipment to repair damaged railway lines as quickly as possible.”

Such an armored train was sighted near Melitopol in March, shortly after the Russian attack on Ukraine. Russia has four such armored trains, in addition to the “Volga”, also “Amur”, “Yenisei” and “Baikal”. They were said to have been built in the early 2000s and renovated in 2016 by order of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in 2016, the Eurasiantimes reports.

Armored trains were mainly used in the 19th century and in both world wars. In this way it was possible to advance more quickly into areas of high firepower than with the tanks and often horse-drawn guns available at the time. But with the technical advancement of main battle tanks and armored personnel carriers, this advantage soon disappeared and most countries abolished their trains. Only Russia kept the concept. The armored trains are also said to have been used in the Chechen war.

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(t-online/wan)