Ukraine uses kamikaze BTR-60 vehicles in Operation Vivaldi

Operation Vivaldi kamikaze vehicles BTR-60 unmanned ground vehicles Lyman

During Operation Vivaldi, Ukraine’s 3rd Army Corps utilized innovative tactics to reclaim approximately 176 square kilometers of territory north of Lyman. A key component of the offensive involved the deployment of “zombie cars”—Soviet-era BTR-60 armored vehicles converted into remote-controlled kamikaze unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs).

These unmanned vehicles were used to strike heavily fortified Russian positions, including a logistics hub in the settlement of Nove. The capture of Nove provided Ukrainian forces with a strategic bridgehead for further advances. Brigadier General Andrii Biletskyi reported that the operation led to the surrender of entire Russian units, including officers, pilots, and artillerymen, resulting in the capture of 250 Russian soldiers.

Russian casualties during the operation are estimated at approximately 2,000 killed or wounded, with some reports suggesting total losses of up to 5,000 people across the three stages of the mission. The use of these converted vehicles allowed Ukraine to strike high-value targets without risking the lives of drivers in suicide missions.

Entities

3rd Army Corps · Andrii Biletskyi · Andrij Bilezkyj · Lyman · Operation Vivaldi · Russia · Third Army Corps · Ukraine · Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 8 SOURCES] Ukraine used converted Soviet-era BTR-60 armored vehicles as unmanned kamikaze vehicles during Operation Vivaldi. www.europesays.com · www.kurierverlag.de · nypost.com · www.startitup.sk · vanguardia.com.mx · +3 more
[● 8 SOURCES] Brigadier General Andrii Biletskyi reported that entire Russian units, including officers and pilots, surrendered during the operation. www.europesays.com · www.kurierverlag.de · nypost.com · www.startitup.sk · vanguardia.com.mx · +3 more
[● 8 SOURCES] The city of Nove was captured, providing a bridgehead for further advances. www.europesays.com · www.kurierverlag.de · nypost.com · www.startitup.sk · vanguardia.com.mx · +3 more
[● 4 SOURCES] Operation Vivaldi resulted in the reclamation of 176 square kilometers of land north of Lyman. www.kurierverlag.de · www.startitup.sk · newsweek.ro · www.telegram.hr
[● 8 SOURCES] Ukraine captured 250 Russian soldiers during the operation. www.europesays.com · www.kurierverlag.de · nypost.com · www.startitup.sk · vanguardia.com.mx · +3 more
[● 4 SOURCES] Approximately 2,000 Russian troops were killed or wounded in the operation. www.europesays.com · www.kurierverlag.de · nypost.com · vanguardia.com.mx
[○ 1 SOURCE] Russian losses during the three stages of the operation are estimated at approximately 5,000 people. newsweek.ro
[● 8 SOURCES] Ukrainian engineers converted Soviet-era BTR-60 armored personnel carriers into remote-controlled kamikaze unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). alephnews.ro · newsweek.ro · www.telegram.hr · www.europesays.com · www.kurierverlag.de · +3 more
[● 3 SOURCES] Ukrainian forces captured 250 Russian soldiers during the operation, including drone operators, artillerymen, and officers. alephnews.ro · newsweek.ro · www.telegram.hr
[● 3 SOURCES] Ukrainian forces conducted Operation Vivaldi, recapturing approximately 176 square kilometers of territory north of Lyman. alephnews.ro · newsweek.ro · www.telegram.hr
[○ 1 SOURCE] The explosion power of the converted BTR-60 vehicles was comparable to a KAB aerial bomb. newsweek.ro