Direct proof of use
Ukraine's use of the Terradyne Gurkha in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War is documented through the UNITED24 medical-procurement effort and Terradyne's own completion announcement. UNITED24 reported on December 27, 2022 that Ukraine's Ministry of Health had procured 13 Canadian-built Gurkha MPV armored medical evacuation vehicles with UNITED24 donations for delivery to frontline regions in 2023.
On October 16, 2023, UNITED24 reported that the first Canadian-made armored evacuation vehicle was going to the front and described it as a high-terrain vehicle with armor meeting NATO ballistic standards for evacuating people from areas under intense shelling. Terradyne later announced that it had completed the 13 evacuation ambulances ordered by Ukraine's Ministry of Health through State Enterprise Medical Procurement of Ukraine.
Sources: UNITED24 Gurkha evacuation vehicles, UNITED24 first armored evacuation vehicle, Terradyne completes Ukraine evacuation ambulances
Timeline
The documented sequence begins with a December 2022 purchase announcement, followed by delivery activity in 2023. UNITED24 said the vehicles were intended for frontline regions, and its October 2023 update placed the first vehicle on the way to the front.
Terradyne's November 2023 completion announcement described the delivered vehicles as Gurkha armored rescue and ambulance evacuation vehicles, funded through UNITED24, with STANAG 4569 level II protection, run-flat tires, winches, NATO stretchers, and capacity for wounded personnel sitting or on stretchers.
Sources: UNITED24 Gurkha evacuation vehicles, UNITED24 first armored evacuation vehicle, Terradyne completes Ukraine evacuation ambulances
Medical evacuation role
The Gurkha MPV's documented role in Ukrainian service was protected casualty evacuation rather than a direct fighting mission. UNITED24 framed the purchase around evacuating wounded personnel from the front line to nearby medical facilities, especially where shelling was heavy.
Manufacturing In Focus later quoted Terradyne president and CEO Durward Smith saying the MPV was not necessarily a frontline fighting vehicle but had been supplied into Ukraine, where medical forces were using it as a frontline evacuation vehicle. The available sources support Ukrainian medical evacuation and protected mobility use; they do not document the Gurkha MPV as an armed combat vehicle in this conflict.
Sources: UNITED24 Gurkha evacuation vehicles, Providing Protection With Unique Vehicles
