Russia tests efficiency of new armaments in Donbas – intelligence

Spokesman for the Defense Ministry of Ukraine Dmytro Hutsuliak said this at a briefing on Friday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"According to the report of the Main Intelligence Department of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, the Russian Federation continues to use combat operations in the temporarily occupied territory of Donbas to test new armaments and check the efficiency of the modernized military equipment. In particular, we observe the intensified activity in the tank and special units of the Russian occupation forces. In addition, the military–industrial complex of the Russian Federation takes measures to accelerate the modernization of infantry fighting vehicles BMP-1, which are being used by the so-called First and Second Army Corps of Russian-occupation troops," Hutsuliak said.

"The first batch of modernized BMP-1 vehicles is to be delivered by September. Russians may test the modernized vehicles in fighting in eastern Ukraine and in Syria," Hutsuliak added.

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