Soldiers of the 225th Separate Assault Battalion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine received 15 Kozak-2M1 and 25 Kozak-5 armored vehicles produced by PJSC Scientific and Production Association “Praktyka.”

Rustem Umerov, Minister of Defense of Ukraine, announced this on his social media page.

In addition to the Minister of Defense, Major General Anatoliy Barhylevych was present at the transfer of equipment.

“We supply our military with modern and reliable equipment. The motivated military is a well-equipped military. Our main priority is to preserve the life and health of the servicemen. More armored vehicles mean more lives saved,” the Minister stated.

The Kozak-2M1 is a modernized version of the Kozak-2M, which is distinguished by its monocoque load-bearing body. It uses the same units as the Kozak-2 but has a completely redesigned chassis.

The suspension of all wheels has become independent, and the ground clearance has increased from 392 mm to 430 mm. The vehicle’s armored body has a ballistic protection level of PZSA-5.

Kozak-5 is a version that is built on the chassis of the Ford F-550 and is primarily intended for police special forces.

Kozak-5 is lighter than Kozak-2 and has a weight of 10 tons. The armored vehicle’s basic version can accommodate up to eight people. The body design is generally similar to the Kozak-2, but single-leaf doors are installed in the rear wall instead of double-leaf ones.

Kozak armored vehicles in the military

Kozak armored vehicles in versions 2, 2M, 2M1, and 5 are some of the most common armored vehicles in the Defense Forces of Ukraine.

In November 2023, Militarnyi reported that Praktyka was developing a medical evacuation vehicle for the Ukrainian military.

A private company is developing a new medical vehicle to evacuate the wounded from the frontline area based on the existing Kozak-7 armored vehicle.

The original armored vehicle and its medical version are built on the modified chassis of the American Ford F550 with a 4×4 wheel arrangement.

The medical compartment located in the aft part of the vehicle is designed to transport four lying wounded, as well as a medic.

Kozak-7 is a relatively new model, which was first presented to the Ministry of Defense representatives in late January 2022, a month before the start of the Russian invasion.

To date, it is known that a certain number of domestic armored vehicles have entered service with the Defense Forces and are being actively used by Ukrainian airborne assault troops.

Earlier, it was reported that the Kozak-2M1 armored vehicle received a remotely controlled combat module with a 14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine gun mounted on it.