The BMK-130M is a Soviet steel-hulled towing motor boat for engineer river-crossing units, used to move pontoon ferries, bridge elements, anchors, and small craft rather than to fight as an armed boat. Vessel references place it in the BMK-130 family built at Vympel's Rybinsk yard, Russian patent literature cites a 1990 Vympel BMK-130M technical manual, and Russia-Ukraine War loss tracking records a Russian BMK-130M/BMK-150-family boat as captured.
Oryx lists one Russian BMK-130M/BMK-150 towing motor boat as captured during the full-scale invasion, documenting the family in Russian engineer-equipment losses while not separating the BMK-130M from the closely related BMK-150 identification.
Role detailsThe BMK-130M is useful to a bridge or ferry unit because it moves floating bridge equipment rather than acting as an armed combat craft. FleetPhoto describes the steel-hulled diesel boat as a tug for small craft and towing crossings, while Russian patent literature cites a Vympel BMK-130M manual and describes the baseline boat with an engine, reverse-reduction gear, one propeller in a nozzle, and a rudder.
Tow small craft, ferry elements, and bridge-crossing equipment during river-crossing work.
The patent source treats limited side thrust and reverse thrust as BMK-130M shortcomings when ferry crews must hold a shuttle ferry against current.
The conflict-use source groups the loss as BMK-130M/BMK-150, so the row records family-level wartime documentation rather than a separated hull-level BMK-130M identification.
Open vessel references treat BMK-130, BMK-130M, BMK-130MA, and BMK-130ML as closely related tug-motor-boat variants within the same family.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| BMK-130 | Earlier family member | RussianShips.info lists BMK-130 as the earlier family member and gives the BMK-130M as a later related model in the same Rybinsk-built tugboat family. Sources: RussianShips.info BMK-130 Type |
| BMK-130MA | Related family member | RussianShips.info lists BMK-130MA between BMK-130M and BMK-130ML in the BMK-130 tugboat type family, but open sources reviewed here do not give a separate public conflict-use record for it. Sources: RussianShips.info BMK-130 Type |
| BMK-130ML | Later/related family member | FleetPhoto lists BMK-130, BMK-130M, and BMK-130ML together, with BMK-130M identified as the main model in the type page. Sources: FleetPhoto BMK-130 Type |
RussianShips.info lists BMK-130-family tugboats from 1960 and attributes the type to Rybinsk Shipyard No. 341, the Vympel Shipyard production lineage used by vessel references.
RussianShips.info lists BMK-130M as a later model within the BMK-130 family, with BMK-130MA and BMK-130ML as adjacent designations.
Russian patent RU2120881C1 cites a 1990 Vympel technical description and maintenance manual for the BMK-130M while describing the baseline boat's hull, engine, reverse-reduction gear, propeller in nozzle, and rudder arrangement.
Oryx's Russian equipment-loss list for the invasion later included one captured BMK-130M/BMK-150 towing motor boat among Russian engineering equipment losses.
Hungarian military and industry sources show the BMK-130M remaining relevant as bridge-support equipment outside the original Soviet production context. Honvedelem reported BMK-130M operator training for Hungarian engineer troops moving PMP bridge and ferry elements, and HM Currus published material on a modernized BMK-130M motor boat variant fitted for winter operation.
Hungarian engineer training used BMK-130M boats to move PMP elements and practice 20- and 80-ton ferry handling.
HM Currus identifies a BMK-130M modernization with a Volvo Penta D5 engine for winter-capable service.
