Direct proof of use
The Ukrainian Institute of National Memory describes a Ukrainian PRP-4 Nard crew operating during the July 2014 fighting for Popasna. Its account names the crew and says the vehicle's artillery reconnaissance detachment operated from a forward observation point near the city, helped strike fortified separatist positions around Popasna while avoiding firing points in residential buildings, and later moved to assist infantry under fire.
Russian use in the full-scale invasion phase is documented through open-source loss records and battlefield reporting. Oryx lists Russian 1V125/145 PRP-4(M) Nard/Deyteriy artillery reconnaissance vehicle losses backed by photo or video evidence, while WarSpotting records individually geolocated destroyed Russian PRP-4(M) vehicles, including two at Razine in the Pokrovsk area on 5 November 2025.
Sources: UINP Popasna PRP-4 Nard Account, Oryx Russian Equipment Losses, WarSpotting PRP-4M 40578, WarSpotting PRP-4M 40579
Timeline
The first conflict-specific record in the catalog is Ukrainian use during the Popasna operation in July 2014. UINP places the Popasna fighting in the second half of July and states that Popasna was taken on 22 July 2014 after Ukrainian artillery support.
During the full-scale invasion, Russian PRP-4(M) vehicles appear mainly in loss documentation rather than official deployment announcements. Oryx records the type under Russian artillery and missile support vehicle losses, and later WarSpotting entries give dated visual confirmations for destroyed Russian PRP-4(M) vehicles.
Sources: UINP Popasna PRP-4 Nard Account, Oryx Russian Equipment Losses, WarSpotting PRP-4M 40578, WarSpotting PRP-4M 43094
Narrative
In Ukrainian service, the PRP-4 Nard is documented as an artillery reconnaissance and fire-support vehicle rather than a front-line infantry carrier. The Popasna account ties it to observation, artillery adjustment, and direct support to infantry during the July 2014 operation.
In Russian service, public evidence for PRP-4(M) use is concentrated in visually confirmed losses. UNITED24 reported that Ukrainian marines destroyed two rare Russian PRP-4 reconnaissance vehicles during a failed armored assault near Myrnohrad in November 2025, attributing the battlefield video to Ukraine's 503rd Separate Marine Battalion. WarSpotting separately identifies two destroyed Russian 1V125/145 PRP-4(M) Nard/Deyteriy vehicles at nearby Razine on 5 November 2025, matching the same sector and date range.
Sources: UINP Popasna PRP-4 Nard Account, UNITED24 Myrnohrad PRP-4 Losses, WarSpotting PRP-4M 40578, WarSpotting PRP-4M 40579
