Oldest Vehicle Still In Production Becomes Key To Russia’s War Effort

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine rolls on, the toll of war continues to mount on both sides. Two long years of combat have seen Russia’s ground forces lose thousands upon thousands of trucks and armored vehicles. Manufacturing capacity to replace those losses is limited, and new military-spec vehicles don’t come cheap. The dire situation of Russian logistics has thus led to an unexpected turn.

Enter the Bukhanka, which roughly translates to “loaf” in English. It’s the colloquial Russian term used to refer to the UAZ-452 for its resemblance to a loaf of bread. It’s also known as the “Scooby Doo Van” to some commentators. The humble four-wheel-drive van has a distinguished position as one of the oldest vehicle designs still in production today. It first debuted in 1965, four years before NASA landed men on the moon. It shares its title with the Beijing BJ212, which also entered production the same year.

Russia was once thought to have one of the most formidable land armies on the planet. Two years of war have brought that into question, as has the use of unarmored vehicles for logistical purposes.

1. The Loaf (Bukhanka), a van designed in 1965, has become russia’s main battlefield transport vehicle. The Loaf reveals a lot about how well russia is doing in Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/pQ6R3vo0Df

— DanielR (@DanielR33187703) June 5, 2024

Originally designed for military use, the UAZ-452 originally shipped with a 75 horsepower 2.4-liter engine capable of running on terrible gasoline with as little as 72 octane. A 1985 upgrade saw the model adopt a 99-horsepower engine. Today, UAZ ships the van with a 2.7-liter engine good for 112-horsepower. It expects higher-quality 92-octane fuel, however.

The bread-like van still retains the same loaf-like body style that stretches all the way back to its birth in 1965. It’s one of those cases where the manufacturer hasn’t seen fit to ain’t-fix what ain’t-broken. The current sales brochure indicates several bodystyles are available, including a cab-chassis, trayback, and truck versions. It also goes by the name UAZ Classic. While it was designed for military users, it was as a utility vehicle, not a combat vehicle.

Ultimately, the Bukhanka had the basics down pat from the start. It has a regular four-wheel-drive system with a low-range transfer case and diff locks available for when the going gets tough. Approach and departure angles are solid if not exceptional, at 30 degrees and 27 degrees apiece. It’s also rated to ford depths up to 1.6 feet. It’s a simple formula and one that makes few concessions to ride comfort or NVH. Regardless, it works. The Bukhanka gets where it needs to go, and it remains easy to maintain and repair when necessary.

The Bukhanka is a simple, rugged off-roader, but that’s not enough to survive on a modern battlefield. As covered by DanielR on Twitter, the increasing use of the ancient UAZ platform is proving problematic for Russian forces. Thin steel panels do nothing to protect against strikes even from the lightest quadcopters employed by Ukrainian forces. The UAZ is also not fast, nor particularly stable or maneuverable at speed. That makes it incredibly difficult for a crew traveling in a Bukhanka to evade or escape attack from incoming high-speed FPV drones.

The design of the fuel tanks doesn’t help, either. They’re mounted under the vehicle on each flank, where they can easily be punctured or ignited by enemy fire. And like the rest of the vehicle, the fuel tanks are completely unarmored. Aiming for the broadside of a Bukhanka is a surefire way to take it out of action.

This wouldn’t be such a problem for logistical use in rear areas far from active combat, but these vehicles have increasingly been pressed into delivery duties near the front lines, hauling ammo, soldiers, and supplies. As a result, burnt-out Bukhankas are becoming an increasingly common sight in Ukraine. Typically, they’re taken out by small drones flown by Ukrainian forces. In turn, the Bukhankas have adopted cage armor as a basic form of defense, though how effective it is remains an open question.

9. Ukrainians talk about Bukhankocide. “One of the roads of death for Russian logistics. Almost all transportation is on loaves and golf carts. Thanks to the good work of drones & artillery all the field roads and woods are littered with burned-out cars.”https://t.co/NbgoEuUBLU pic.twitter.com/NNC00QodvF

— DanielR (@DanielR33187703) June 5, 2024

Since the war began in 2022, open source intelligence tells us that Russian forces have lost tanks, trucks, and infantry fighting vehicles in their thousands. And yet, despite its weaknesses, the Bukhanka remains present on the battlefield. Why? Because it’s cheap, and it’s available. Russian forces are scrambling for every vehicle they can get, and new Bukhankas cost less than 1.5 million rubles ($16,800 USD).  In wartime, that’s sometimes all that matters. For similar reasons, Russian forces have also been making significant use of Chinese-sourced “golf carts” as reported by Forbes.

Ultimately, it’s hard to imagine an equivalent in Western terms, but let’s take a shot anyway. Imagine if the US Army was resupplying troops from 1965 Ford Econolines. It’d be an odd look for modern warfare. the Econoline isn’t really in the same class as the Bukhanka, but it’s eerie how reminiscent the Russian van is of the 1960s Ford design.

11. Russians say they desperately need Loaves to deliver supplies & transport personnel because there are no other resources. That is, they are not using armored vehicles because they do not have them. What happened to russia’s huge store of armoured vehicles? pic.twitter.com/jSl4ROC6Fu

— DanielR (@DanielR33187703) June 5, 2024

Social media today is full of explicit videos from the front lines of the Russian invasion. Discretion is advised before one goes researching in this area.

By no means is The Autopian a war news outlet. Regardless, it’s newsworthy that one of the oldest vehicles currently in production has become a staple of a “superpower” in a major conflict. In much the same way as the Toyota Hilux became infamous as a “technical” (a civilian vehicle converted for battlefield use), the Bukhanka is making a name for itself in the turmoil of this European battlefield. Unless there is some grand change in Russian industry or the status of the war, expect Bukhankas to keep winding the roads behind the front lines, where they will remain easy targets. For a strained Russian logistics effort, better options appear hard to come by.

Image credits: UAZ, Ford