Russian armored vehicles spotted in Sudan

The Sudanese army has destroyed a rare Russian armored vehicle, the Federal-M, used by local rebels of the Rapid Support Forces group.

Local residents posted the photo of the equipment online.

In the battles for the capital, Khartoum, government forces fought off the Rapid Support Forces units during the clearing of the Al-Lamap district and destroyed their equipment, including one Federal-M armored vehicle.

The vehicle was severely damaged by what appears to be an anti-tank grenade hit to the armor plate of the door on the left side.

Judging by the numerous bullet holes and open embrasures, the crew may have returned fire from under the armor before abandoning the vehicle. At the same time, there are no crew members’ bodies near the vehicle.

This is the first known record of this armored vehicle in the country during the civil war between pro-government forces and the rebel Rapid Support Forces, supported by Russia and mercenaries of the Wagner PMC.

The only mention of export deliveries of the “Federals” dates back to 2013, when it was stated that a batch of vehicles was being produced for a North African country. It is now clear that this customer was Sudan.

Federal-M armored fighting vehicle

The Federal-M is a mine-protected armored vehicle developed by the Moscow-based Institute of Specialized Vehicles. It is designed to transport personnel in areas with a high risk of ambush.

Structurally, the vehicle is a frame structure based on the Ural-4320 truck, which is fitted with a single armored capsule with a U-shaped bottom that dissipates the force of an explosion.

According to the manufacturer, the 15.5-ton vehicle comes with a standard armor level 5a according to GOST R 50963-96, equivalent to the Western standard STANAG 4659 lvl 2. It provides protection against 7.62×39 mm ammunition from a distance of 10 meters.

However, this parameter can be increased to level 6a (STANAG 4659 lvl 3), which guarantees similar protection to armor-piercing rounds fired from a 7.62×51 mm rifle. This is achieved by means of additional external or internal armor plates.

It is worth noting that the Ukrainian Defense Forces encountered a previous version of this vehicle, the Federal, in the first days of the Russian invasion. These vehicles were used by units of the Russian internal troops.