Rare Russian KRVD Engineering Vehicle Destroyed in First Confirmed Loss

The 66th Separate Mechanized Brigade has destroyed a rare Russian KRVD temporary road deployment vehicle, marking the first confirmed loss of such equipment in the war.

The Brigade’s press service published photos of the destroyed vehicle, which FPV drones reportedly hit on April 9 as it attempted to support a river crossing over the Chornyi Zherebets.

According to the brigade, the destroyed KRVD vehicle blocked a potential crossing point, preventing Russian armored vehicles from advancing in the area.

However, on April 20, Russian forces attempted to clear the remains of the destroyed equipment, taking advantage of the relative calm during the Easter ceasefire and Ukrainian orders to return fire only when attacked.

Brigade reports indicate that over ten Russian personnel and a specialized vehicle were involved in the clearing operation.

KRVD

The KRVD, or temporary road deployment system, was introduced into service with the Russian Army’s engineering units in 2018.

It consists of two modules mounted on a KamAZ-63501 chassis. Each module can deploy and retrieve a 50-meter-long roadway segment, enabling the full system to lay a 100-meter road 4.6 meters wide.

The system is designed to support the movement of wheeled vehicles with axle loads of up to 12 tons and tracked vehicles weighing up to 60 tons.

Each module can be deployed in approximately five minutes, with the truck moving in reverse to press and stabilize the roadbed.

The KRVD is intended to facilitate the movement of vehicles across swampy or difficult terrain, especially in the vicinity of river crossings and bridgeheads.

Engineering vehicles like the KRVD are used to construct access routes to temporary or permanent river crossings.

Without such infrastructure, heavy equipment may become stuck or be unable to climb onto muddy banks after fording water obstacles.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian Air Force aircraft struck a Russian pontoon crossing and associated vehicles in the border area of the Kursk region.