Armored Vehicles

BTR-3

Also known as
  • BTR-3U
  • BTR-3E
  • BTR-3E1
  • BTR-3DA
  • BTR-3K
  • BTR-3KSh
  • BTR-3E1KSh

The BTR-3 is a Ukrainian 8x8 armored personnel carrier family derived from the Soviet-style wheeled APC layout but built around Ukrainian production and combat modules. Documented conflict use ranges from Ukrainian, Azerbaijani, Thai, Myanmar, and Sudanese inventories, with variants providing protected infantry mobility and turret fire support from 30 mm cannon, machine-gun, grenade-launcher, and anti-tank missile fits.

BTR-3, 8x8 wheeled armored personnel carrier, Armored Vehicles
Image source: BTR-3, Kyiv 2021, 12.jpg

Role in Conflicts

2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
Role in conflict
Protected troop transport and infantry fire support

Fielded by Azerbaijani forces during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh fighting; visually confirmed loss documentation records one Azerbaijani BTR-3 destroyed in the conflict.

2025 Thailand-Cambodia Border Conflict
Side
Thailand
Role in conflict
Protected troop transport and border fire support

Royal Thai Army BTR-3E1 armored personnel carriers were documented operating near the Poipet-Khlong Lek border crossing during 2025 fighting with Cambodia; later reporting described a Thai BTR-3E1 abandoned during border combat and claimed by Cambodian forces.

2021 Myanmar Civil War
Side
State Administration Council and allied forces
Role in conflict
Protected troop transport and captured armored vehicle

A Myanmar conflict equipment-loss list records multiple State Administration Council BTR-3U armored vehicles captured by anti-junta forces, documenting the type in junta service during the civil war.

2023 Sudan War
Role in conflict
Armored troop transport and infantry fire support

Oryx documented BTR-3 vehicles destroyed during the 2023 Sudan crisis, while its Sudanese fighting-vehicle reference identifies BTR-3s as Sudanese Army inventory; individual loss entries are not assigned to a belligerent.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Ukraine
Type
8x8 wheeled armored personnel carrier
Service note
Entered service in 2001; conflict-documented in Ukrainian, Azerbaijani, Thai, Myanmar, and Sudanese service contexts
Designer
Ukrainian and foreign industrial consortium
Designed
Early 2000s
Produced
2001-present

Specifications

Crew and passengers
9 personnel total on BTR-3E configuration
Armament
CM-3M/BM-3-type combat module with 30 mm automatic cannon, 30 mm automatic grenade launcher, 7.62 mm machine gun, and anti-tank missile options on some variants
Weight
About 16-16.5 tonnes depending on variant
Mobility
8x8 wheeled amphibious chassis; road speed listed from 80 to 95 km/h by variant, with 600-850 km road range
Engine
Diesel powerplant; Ukrainian reference lists 300 hp for BTR-3E
Protection
Welded steel armor for small-arms fire and shell-splinter protection
BTR-3DA protection
Ukrainian reference data describes BTR-3DA with increased internal protection and additional anti-fragmentation lining
Family Configurations

The BTR-3 family uses the same 8x8 APC base across export, Ukrainian-service, and command configurations. Public source coverage identifies the main differences through combat modules, protection packages, and command equipment.

DesignationConfigurationDocumented distinction
BTR-3UEarly export APCMyanmar conflict loss documentation identifies captured junta vehicles with the BTR-3U designation.
BTR-3ECM-3M combat-module APCUkrainian reference data lists 2001 service entry and a CM-3M armament package with 30 mm cannon, grenade launcher, machine gun, and anti-tank missile options.
BTR-3E1BM-3M Shturm combat-module variantReference coverage describes the BTR-3E1 family with 30 mm cannon, automatic grenade launcher, machine gun, and Barrier missile option.
BTR-3DAImproved Ukrainian-service APCUkrainian reference data describes added internal protection, and 2017 delivery reporting identified 50 BTR-3DA vehicles supplied to Ukrainian military and security users.
BTR-3KShCommand-staff vehicleThe BTR-3K command-staff configuration is listed as a command variant within the family.

Sources: BTR-3E; BTR-3E1; Ukraine army takes delivery of 50 BTR-3DA; List Of Myanmar Junta Equipment Losses.

Vehicle Armament

The BTR-3E page lists the CM-3M and BM-3M combat-module armament fit.

Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
BAR'ER vehicle-carried antitank missile system, Vehicle-carried anti-tank guided missile system, Infantry WeaponsBAR'ER vehicle-carried antitank missile systemvehicle-carried antitank missile system

The BTR-3E1 BM-3M "Shturm" module is listed with the Barrier guided weapon system, and the BTR-3DA module is listed with Barrier launchers on the combat module.

Sources: BTR-3E, BAR'ER vehicle-carried antitank missile system

DBA-117 (AG17) automatic grenade launcher, 30 mm automatic grenade launcher, Infantry WeaponsDBA-117 (AG17) automatic grenade launcher30 mm automatic grenade launcher

The BTR-3E page lists the KBA-117 in the BM-3M Shturm module on the BTR-3E1 and BTR-3DA variants.

Sources: BTR-3E

FPM-1 automatic gun, 30 mm automatic gun, Infantry WeaponsFPM-1 automatic gun30 mm automatic gun

The BTR-3E armament section lists a 30 mm automatic gun FPM-1 in the CM-3M combat module.

Sources: BTR-3E

Timeline

BTR-3 Key Events

  1. BTR-3E enters service

    Ukrainian reference data lists the BTR-3E as entering service in 2001 with a CM-3M combat module and Ukrainian production context.

  2. BTR-3DA delivery milestone

    Army Recognition reported Kyiv Armored Plant delivered 50 BTR-3DA vehicles to Ukrainian armed forces, National Guard, and law-enforcement users during 2017.

  3. Ukrainian Air Assault Forces trials

    Ukrinform reported the 95th Air Assault Brigade tested BTR-3DA vehicles during tactical exercises and described the Shturm-M module armament fit.

  4. Sudan War losses documented

    Oryx listed visually documented BTR-3 vehicles destroyed during the 2023 Sudan crisis.

Media

BTR-3 Videos

BTR-3 Images

BTR-3, 8x8 wheeled armored personnel carrier, Armored Vehicles - view 1
Source: BTR3.jpg
Related Weapon Systems
BTR-4, 8x8 wheeled armored personnel carrier / infantry fighting vehicle, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesBTR-48x8 wheeled armored personnel carrier / infantry fighting vehicleThe BTR-4 Bucephalus is a Ukrainian 8x8 armored personnel carrier and infantry fighting vehicle built around a rear troop compartment, amphibious mobility, and remote weapon stations such as the BM-7 Parus. It provides protected movement and direct fire support with a 30 mm cannon, machine gun, grenade launcher, and anti-tank missile capability, and export BTR-4EN vehicles have been documented in Nigerian counter-insurgency service.
BTR-152M armored personnel carrier, 6x6 wheeled armored personnel carrier, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesBTR-152M armored personnel carrier6x6 wheeled armored personnel carrierThe BTR-152M armored personnel carrier is a Yemeni-service listing within the Soviet BTR-152 6x6 APC family, retained from older Yemeni Army stocks and documented during the 2014 Yemen Civil War. Public evidence supports a conservative role: legacy protected mobility where serviceable vehicles remained available, plus broader BTR-152-family use as a base for improvised AK-630 or GSh-6-30K naval-gun installations by Yemeni government forces.

Sources

BTR-3EPublisher: National Defence University of Ukraine | Note: Supports Ukrainian manufacturer, service-entry, armament, crew, weight, engine, speed, range, and selected variant details for the BTR-3 family. | Accessed: 2026-06-30BTR-3E1Publisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports variant background, mission description, armament, crew, protection, dimensions, amphibious capability, speed, and range for BTR-3E1-family vehicles. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Attack On Europe: Documenting Ukrainian Equipment Losses During The Russian Invasion Of UkrainePublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports direct 2014 Russia-Ukraine War use by listing visually confirmed Ukrainian BTR-3 losses during the full-scale invasion. | Accessed: 2026-06-30The Fight For Nagorno-Karabakh: Documenting Losses On The Sides Of Armenia And AzerbaijanPublisher: Oryx | Note: 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict: fielded by Azerbaijan; visually confirmed loss list records one Azerbaijani BTR-3 destroyed during the 2020 fighting. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Ukrainian-Made Oplot-M Tanks and BTR-3E1s Spotted in Action in ThailandPublisher: UNITED24 Media | Note: Supports 2025 Thailand-Cambodia Border Conflict use by reporting Royal Thai Army BTR-3E1 vehicles operating near the Poipet-Khlong Lek border crossing during July 2025 fighting. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Thailand Just Lost an Armored Vehicle in Combat with CambodiaPublisher: The National Interest | Note: Supports 2025 Thailand-Cambodia Border Conflict use by describing a Royal Thai Army BTR-3E1 abandoned during fighting near the Thai-Cambodian border and claimed by Cambodian forces. | Accessed: 2026-06-30BTR-3, Kyiv 2021, 12.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Primary image provenance; Commons file page identifies the image as own work by VoidWanderer under CC BY-SA 4.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-30BTR3.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Gallery image provenance; Commons file page identifies the Ukrainian BTR-3 image as uploader own work with CC BY-SA 3.0 and GFDL licensing. | Accessed: 2026-06-30BAR'ER vehicle-carried antitank missile systemPublisher: State Kyiv Design Bureau Luch | Note: Supports the official BAR'ER product page and its vehicle-mounted antitank missile system background. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Ukraine army takes delivery of 50 BTR-3DAPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports the 2017 BTR-3DA delivery milestone and identifies Ukrainian military, National Guard, and law-enforcement recipients. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Ukrainian paratroopers test modern APCsPublisher: Ukrinform | Note: Supports Ukrainian BTR-3DA service context, Air Assault Forces exercise use, and Shturm-M combat-module armament detail. | Accessed: 2026-06-30List Of Myanmar Junta Equipment LossesPublisher: Armada Rotta | Note: 2021 Myanmar Civil War: records State Administration Council BTR-3U armored fighting vehicles captured by anti-junta forces. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Sudan On Fire: Documenting Equipment Losses During The 2023 Sudan CrisisPublisher: Oryx | Note: 2023 Sudan War: records visually documented BTR-3 vehicles destroyed during the 2023 Sudan crisis. | Accessed: 2026-06-30From Conflict To Conflict: Sudan's Fighting VehiclesPublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports Sudanese Army BTR-3 inventory context, including BTR-3 vehicles fitted with BMP-1 turrets. | Accessed: 2026-06-30