Do videos of rare trains indicate a shortage in Russia? An analysis by Defense Express sheds light on the situation.

Videos of trains carrying rare military equipment often appear on social media, showcasing vehicles that have either seldom been seen in battles against the Armed Forces of Ukraine or have not been spotted at the front at all. In light of this, analysts conclude that the Russian occupation forces are significantly exhausted from combat operations.

This information is reported by RBK-Ukraine citing Defense Express.

The publication notes that the overall trend indicates that the Russian army is depleted. However, Ukrainian military personnel must remain cautious regardless.

The released video captures a Russian train with rare equipment—fire control vehicles 1V119 "Reostat" based on BTR-D and self-propelled anti-tank missile systems 9P148 "Konkurs" based on BRDM-2. It is likely that the Russians have unsealed these vehicles for use as parts donors or transport for assault groups, but this does not rule out other possible scenarios.

Data from open sources suggest that the use of BRDM-2s to support Russian "stormtroopers" on the battlefield is not recorded, even though there have been reports of such vehicles being unsealed. However, the use of self-propelled anti-tank missile systems 9P148 "Konkurs" by the Russians has been documented at least during the battles for Ugledar in 2023.

It is also worth noting that 1V119 "Reostat" is extremely rare for the Russian army. The Russian military inherited up to 60 such vehicles, and as of 2021, the presence of 1V119 "Reostat" was noted only in the 7th Air Assault and 76th Airborne Divisions.

If we refer to The Military Balance 2024 data, at the beginning of the previous year, the Russian airborne troops had 550 BTR-D units, 180 2S9 "Nona-S" self-propelled artillery systems in service, and another 350 similar systems in storage. This implies that theoretically, the Russians already have enough BTR-D for "cannibalization" if necessary, while additional fire control vehicles for the "Nona-S" artillery systems may indeed be relevant.

"Finally, it should not be overlooked that the Russians might unseal rare equipment not only for battles against the Armed Forces of Ukraine but also to equip troops that are not engaged in combat, located within the territory of Russia itself," writes Defense Express.

Recall that according to British Defense Minister John Healey, Russia's losses on the front in October 2024 were the largest since the onset of the full-scale war.

We also reported that Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed a significant amount of expensive and rare enemy equipment in November. In particular, several types of anti-aircraft systems and radars were destroyed.