BMP (IFV)

BMP Family
BMP-1
Type	Infantry Fighting Vehicle
Place Of Origin	Brezhnevstan
In Service	1967 - present (sadly)
Main Armament	73 mm 2A28 Grom (BMP-1) 30 mm 2A42 (BMP-2) 100 mm 2A70 (BMP-3)
Secondary Armament	7.62mm PKT coaxial machine gun and various ATGM's for anti-tank sake 30 mm 2A42 (BMP-3)
Armor	Stalinium
Engine	Diesel engine (300 bhp)
Mass	Up to 20 tons

The BMP (Russian: Блядная Машина Пиздецнахуй, transliterated Blyadnaya Mashina Pizdetsnakhuy, literally "Fucking Machine Fucked-to-Hell") is a family of Soviet tracked tractors, masked as "Infantry fighting vehicles" based on concept of a shit. Up to 80,000 of these craps were produced.

Originally conceived as a way to allow infantry to die alongside tanks rather than alone, the BMP series became infamous for its combination of cardboard-tier armor, an engine powered by divine intervention and alcohol fumes, and optics seemingly salvaged from pickle jar factories. Despite glaring flaws in nearly every aspect except for its amphibious capability (which no one ever asked for), the BMP proliferated globally—thanks largely to the Soviet Union’s buy three, get eight free export policy.

Mass production, along with training standards that required only the ability to survive a crash, ensured the BMP became the standard-issue mobile crematorium for infantry across the Warsaw Pact and beyond. Later upgrades attempted to fix the original’s fatal design oversights, generally succeeding only in adding new layers of mechanical torment and increasing the likelihood of spontaneous combustion when hit.

Development

In the early 1960s, an elderly woman living near the Ural Mountains faced a simple yet pressing agricultural issue: her wheeled tractor kept getting stuck in the mud and snow. Determined to solve the problem using only what Soviet collective farming could offer, she paid a visit to the local kolkhoz. There, she liberated seven tracked Komsomolets tractors, 70 tonnes of irrigation tubing, six twin-cylinder tractor engines, and roughly 200 liters of vodka.

Working tirelessly through the long winter nights of 1962–63—powered solely by sheer spite and ethanol—she completed her prototype in July 1963. The resulting vehicle was an effective contraption capable of plowing through frozen fields and marshes with surprising ease.

By complete coincidence, a Soviet military exercise was being held nearby. Several curious members of the Politburo, wandering in search of purpose and snacks, spotted the woman’s creation. Impressed by its rugged mobility and the generous interior space for storing fermented potatoes, they immediately ordered a militarized version to be developed with only the most minimal adjustments—primarily the addition of a cannon and slightly fewer pipe fittings.

Thus, with the full efficiency and foresight of Soviet bureaucracy, the design was finalized as the BMP-1 and entered mass production in 1966, formally joining service in 1967. To this day, some argue the original prototype was never actually surpassed.

Main variants

BMP-1

Polish BMP-1 during excersises, 2009

The BMP-1 was the first mass-produced tractor ever to be officially classified as an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV). Conceived in an era when mobility, firepower, and mass production were valued above crew survivability or ergonomic sense, it was equipped with the infamous 2A28 Grom—a 73 mm "potato launcher" that was, in essence, a sawed-off SPG-9 recoilless rifle bolted into a rotating turret. Supplementary armament included whatever infantry carried with them and an optional coaxial machine gun in case someone remembered to load it.

The vehicle featured internal seating for up to seven infantrymen, who had to perform such advanced contortionist movements to embark, disembark, or even just exist inside the hull that they could easily outclass the UNC gymnastics team. After a ride in the BMP-1, any surviving soldier could claim both combat experience and a minor in acrobatic arts.

Aesthetically and functionally spartan, the BMP-1 did, however, offer amphibious capability—managing to float and swim without immediately sinking like its American counterpart, the M113. While the M113 resembled a shoebox on a bad day, the BMP-1 at least pretended to be aerodynamic, mostly by accident.

In total, around 40,000 units were produced over a 20-year period, making it one of the most prolifically manufactured death boxes of the Cold War. Approximately 18,000 of these were built in the People's Czechoslovakia under license, rebranded as BVP-1 (Bojová Vojenská Píčovina—Combat Military Fuckery), a title many tank crews quietly agreed was more honest than the official designation of an IFV.

BMP-2

Czech Army BVP-2, licence-built version of BMP-2. Looks the same.

While the BMP-1 proved to be more or less reliable—at least in the sense that it exploded consistently—the late 1970s brought a rude awakening to Soviet military planners: the potato launcher had a muzzle velocity so low it could be outrun by an overweight conscript on foot. Clearly, a new solution was needed.

The answer was predictably elegant: the designers enlarged the turret, repurposed a leftover sewage pipe, and transformed it into the 2A42—a 30 mm pea shooter with a theoretical rate of fire that could scare birds off power lines. Since logic dictated that the bigger turret needed to move backwards, the interior crew space shrank even further. Infantry soldiers were thus promoted from regional contortionists to world-class gymnasts, able to twist, fold, and teleport themselves into ever-diminishing spaces.

As with its predecessor, the BMP-2 retained a delightfully minimalist interior—featuring amenities such as nothing, and maintained the curious legacy feature of amphibious capability, albeit often without actual propulsion. This meant that while it technically floated, it did so like a heavily armored log, drifting aimlessly in the general direction of enemy fire.

Production was, of course, massive. Around 35,000 units were built and generously exported to client states, allies, insurgents, and anyone with a pulse and a vague anti-Western stance. Much like its predecessor, it was used widely and burned brightly—sometimes literally—on the battlefields of the late Cold War and beyond.

Russian BMP-3 captured by bunch of Ukranians

BMP-3

In the chaotic 1980s, during which General Secretaries of the CPSU changed more frequently than lightbulbs in a Khrushchyovka, it was decided that the BMP concept required radical modernization. This, of course, meant a few bold steps: significantly increased armor protection (from cardboard layered with up to 33 mm of steel to progressive aluminum alloys with all the protective qualities of aged Swiss cheese), a major overhaul of firepower, and just enough internal chaos to remain true to the BMP legacy.

The new centerpiece was the 2A70, a 100 mm automatic potato howitzer capable of firing both high-explosive potatoes and anti-tank guided spuds. This main gun was paired with the traditional 30 mm pea shooter, resulting in a fearsome combined arms suite that, on paper, could defeat outdated tanks like the M60 or Chieftain—provided they weren’t looking and had forgotten to armor themselves that morning.

The BMP-3 was bigger, heavier, and marginally less likely to be destroyed by angry glances. Its design reflected the late-Soviet dream of finally creating something that looked futuristic without actually changing the doctrine, survivability, or comfort levels of its predecessors. Despite its increased bulk and weaponry, it somehow retained the now-mythical ability to swim, although it remained entirely unequipped to do so properly. Movement in water was more symbolic than functional.

Unlike its ancestors, the BMP-3 was not churned out in numbers rivaling kitchen appliances. Instead, only around 2,000 units were produced, mostly because the Soviet Union collapsed shortly after realizing that building IFVs out of cheese and hope might not be a sustainable defense policy.

Use

Average condition of every BMP during Russo-Ukranian war. This example is BMP-2M

Combat

The combat history of the BMP family (BMP-1, BMP-2, BMP-2M, BMP-3) reads less like a chronicle of armored dominance and more like a spreadsheet of mass casualty data categorized by terrain type. From the sun-blasted deserts of Iraq to the artillery-churned clay of the Donbas, BMPs have performed consistently in their core function: rapid infantry delivery directly into the kill zone, while ensuring maximum heat exposure and minimal post-engagement paperwork.

Despite decades of modifications, the design ethos remains unshaken: armor is optional, but dying for the Motherland is mandatory.

BMPs are deployed globally for a few simple reasons:

• They are available in numbers that make World War II logistics officers blush
• They burn well for propaganda footage
• They're cheaper than training soldiers to run

Their continued presence on modern battlefields reflects not tactical utility, but a deep institutional comfort with loss.

Comparison that no one wanted: BMP-2M vs. gymnast of UNC (Chapel Hill)

Combat

Parameter	BMP-2M	UNC Gymnast
Weight	28,660 lbs (empty)	~115 lbs (105 lbs after shrapnel impact)
Length	22.0 ft	5 ft 3 in (63 inches of unarmored target)
Height	8 ft (with turret)	5 ft 4 in in Nikes, 5 ft 2 post IED
Powerplant	300 hp diesel engine, very loud	1.5 Starbucks iced lattes and vanity
Top Speed	40 mph on paved roads	~9.5 mph sprint, ~4.5 mph if screaming
Ground Clearance	1.4 ft	0 ft (falls to ground instantly when hit)
Profile	Massive, tracked, mobile coffin	Low-profile, low-threat, high-pitch voice
Base Armor	1.3 inch of pure Stalinium, 1980s design	Skin, bones, glitter, and sheer denial
Resistance to Rifle Rounds (5.56mm)	Front: Partial, Sides/Rear: None	None – direct hit results in explosion of identity
Resistance to ATGMs (Javelin, NLAW)	0% – penetrates, detonates fuel, evaporates crew	100% if missed, 0% if impact – becomes battlefield paste
Resistance to 125mm APFSDS	0% – round enters, exits, and ruins a family	0% if hit – disintegration, organs liquefy on overpressure
Thermal Signature	Very high – radiates heat, stress, and oil leaks	Low – unless vaping or crying
Drone Signature	Guaranteed lock and kill	Ignored unless behaving like an insurgent influencer
Camouflage	Soviet green, designed for irrelevant forests	Neon leotard, reflective eyeshadow, tactical liability
Countermeasures	None	Screaming, ducking, possibly prayer
Grenade (M67)	Kills interior crew, ignites fuel	Turns internal organs into Jackson Pollock piece
IED (50 lbs)	Instant destruction – hull breach, fireball	Atomization – fragments, body parts thrown 50+ ft
Thermobaric Weapon	Melts inside into screaming paste	Bones shattered, eyes ruptured, tissues gone
Cluster Munition	Mobility kill or total destruction	Human salsa smeared across two lanes of road
Proximity Blast (10 ft)	Crew concussed, vehicle disabled	Legs detached, torso in flames, death in seconds
Armed With	30mm cannon, 7.62mm PKT MG, occasionally a Kronet or Konkurs ATGM	Vape pen, iPhone 14, Apple Watch, maybe pepper spray
Effective Range	2.2 mi (cannon), ~1,600 ft (MG)	Emotional damage: immediate, combat damage: 0 ft
Fire Discipline	Rarely hits moving targets	Has never fired a weapon, might scream at recoil
Chance of Self-Harm with RPG-7	2% – if high	97% – likely fires backwards or stares into muzzle
Familiarity with Firearms	Basic training, usually drunk	Zero – thinks Mosin-Nagant is a band
Combat Response	Confused shooting followed by death	Freezes, cries, drone footage goes viral
Post-Fire Accuracy	30–50% (Soviet optics)	0% – might drop weapon or shoot own foot
Combat Use	Delivers infantry who are 90% likely to die	Unintentional decoy – confuses hormonal riflemen
Tactical Maneuvering	Limited by terrain, weak armor	Can hide under debris or fake death believably
Reaction to Gunfire	Maybe fires back, usually burns	Instantly prone, fetal position, scream-loop activated
Effect on Enemy Troops	None – expected loss	Morally confusing, hesitation to engage
Effect on Allied Troops	PTSD from watching crew vaporize	90% of males flirt, emotionally destabilized when rejected
Allied Troop Interaction	No emotion – BMP is equipment	US troops simp immediately (especially Marines)
Infantry Reactions	Panic under fire, followed by death	Try to assist, sometimes abandon post
Chance of Seducing Infantryman	N/A	98% attempt, 100% fail (ick + hygiene)
Response to Combat Simping	N/A	“Ew, combat boots? I’m seeing someone from Wake Forest.”
Troop Breakdown After Rejection	N/A	High – causes poetry, friendly fire, dissociation
Combat Morale Impact	Negative – everyone dies	Catastrophic – troops demoralized, crave TikTok validation
Combat Effectiveness	2.2/10 – loud, obsolete, instantly vaporized	0.3/10 – dies fast, but breaks morale
Survivability	0.6 seconds under modern fire	1.1 seconds if unnoticed, 0.2 if spotted
Utility to Command	Target decoy, morale hole	None
Preferred in Theater?	No	Also no – but cheaper and less likely to explode

UNC Use

Of course, I was disgusting, and I hereby apologize to every member of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill gymnastics team, including coaches, coach assistants etc. However, to be somewhat fair, it could hypothetically happen that a BMP-2M might somehow appear on the UNC Chapel Hill campus—and it would be even less effective there than it is in Donbas.

Aspect	BMP-2M	UNC Gymnast
Transporting Students (Bus Role)	Holds 7 brave souls. Arrives late, destroys parking lot, but never stuck in traffic.	Can barely carry her own hydroflask. Needs rideshare. Complains driver didn’t open door.
Romantic Relationships	Cold, dead machine. But reliable. Won’t cheat. Might explode.	4 boyfriends, 3 side flings, 2 restraining orders. Gaslights, cries, posts sad edits of Lana lyrics.
Emotional Luggage Capacity	Zero. Can’t feel shame, guilt, or heartbreak. Might catch fire. Doesn’t care.	200GB of texts, 7 journals, 43 Snapchat screenshots. Still hung up on someone from high school.
Use as Tow Truck	Will drag your Honda Civic, your professor’s Prius, or a tree. Whether you want it to or not.	Might help if it’s her crush’s car. Otherwise too “emotionally drained.”
Parking Efficiency	Parked sideways in faculty lot, destroys 9 other vehicles. Still gets no ticket.	Parks in “visitor” spot, gets booted, cries on Instagram live.
Usefulness in Group Projects	Delivers results in the form of scorched earth. Nothing remains. Professors impressed by crater.	Contributes Pinterest board, disappears, blames trauma. Cries during presentation.
Academic Success	Doesn’t learn. Doesn’t forget. Just applies Soviet doctrine to every problem.	Fails 2 classes, aces yoga, writes essay about “my healing journey.”
Survivability on Campus	Immune to frat boys, TikTok mobs, and electric scooters. Only defeated by drones or midterms.	Takes psychic damage from eye contact. Mortally wounded by bad vibes.
As a Roommate	Silent. Smells like diesel and PTSD. Never eats your snacks. Might catch fire at 3 a.m.	Screams at night, steals shampoo, trauma dumps during breakfast.
Academic Motivation	Exists only to deliver destruction, not GPA.	Motivated only when competing with hotter girl. Studies 2 hours, cries 6.
Campus Job Potential	Grounds maintenance via brute force. Could flatten trees, benches, rival mascots.	Hired as RA, fired after mental breakdown over laundry room etiquette.
Response to Bad Grade	Shoots at registrar building. Registrar disappears.	Writes 5-paragraph email to professor, cc's entire bloodline.
Sustainability	Emits black clouds of diesel fumes. Eats 300 liters of diesel. Doesn’t recycle.	Claims to be vegan, orders 4 Chick-fil-A sauces and forgets to recycle Starbucks cup.
Wi-Fi Compatibility	Doesn’t need Wi-Fi. Operates offline.	Has 3 devices connected. Still says “Ugh, the Wi-Fi sucks!” every hour.
Friend-Making Ability	No friends. No enemies.	Trauma bonds instantly, un-bonds by next Tuesday.
Use in Natural Disaster	Plows through hurricanes, floods, fire. Also causes some.	Trips during evacuation. Films “evacuation haul” TikTok.
Ability to Take Criticism	Doesn’t care. Shoots back.	Cries. Sends 12 texts. Deletes Instagram for 4 hours. Returns. Posts quote.
Political Awareness	Fought for regimes that don’t exist. Thinks NATO is a personality flaw.	Calls everything fascism, but can't locate Ukraine on a map.
Potential for Redemption Arc	Only when turned into war memorial.	Possible after 3 therapy sessions and semester abroad.
Disciplinary Action	Military tribunal or drone strike. Nothing in-between.	“Warning letter” and free therapy coupons. Posts “justice for me” afterwards.
Ability to Help During Move-In	Carries 10 fridges, crushes RA. Parents applaud.	Brings three duffel bags, expects boyfriend to carry all.
Library Use	Takes out wall to make its own study pod. Other students flee.	Occupies a beanbag for 6 hours, “studies” 20 minutes, TikToks the rest.
Response to Loud Music in Dorms	Fires 30mm at offending room. No more music. Ever.	Sings louder. Threatens to report. Makes it about “boundaries.”
As Emotional Support Unit	Loud, unstable, dangerous—but at least consistent.	Says “I’m always here,” then ghosts you during mental breakdown.
Graduation Probability	0% – physically can’t hold a diploma, also exploded 5 buildings.	62% – if daddy pays tuition and therapist writes enough letters.

Gymnastics

Where the gymnasts from UNC at Chapel Hill—who, quite honestly, almost seem to excel to the layman’s eye (they average something like 9.587 out of 10)—the BMP-2M falls catastrophically short. And to be clear, I mean in artistic gymnastics. However, in some areas—particularly certain mental faculties—it might just surpass the gymnasts.

Category	BMP-2M	UNC Gymnast
Vault Performance	Misaligns, crushes vault, injures two judges	Full sprint, explosive takeoff, clean landing despite chronic joint pain
Uneven Bars	Incompatible with apparatus; bars destroyed	Fluid swings, occasional slip, wrist strain ignored
Balance Beam	Beam collapse on contact	Precise sequence, hidden injuries, smiles through pain
Floor Routine	Treats area as combat zone; safety hazard	High-intensity choreography, emotional control under pressure
Choreography Quality	Nonexistent; only turret traversal	Technically seamless, emotionally complex
Flexibility	0° ROM; solid steel chassis	180°+ splits; pain ignored, hypermobility trained
Mental Resilience	No emotions, no stress, no breakdowns	Suppresses panic attacks mid-routine, dissociates after
Response to Score Deductions	Ignores or fires at scoreboard	Nods silently, stores resentment for later
Team Interaction	Accidentally crushes teammates	Smiles, supports, cries in bathroom after meet
Coachability	Receives commands only in Russian	Internalizes all feedback; overcorrects to self-detriment
Social Media Behavior	No accounts; EMP-compatible	Posts highlights, deletes captions about existential dread
Post-Victory	Sits idle, overheats nearby instruments	Smiles for camera, collapses in locker room
Post-Loss	Rolls away silently; no visible change	“Proud of team” post, throws up from cortisol overload
Parental Presence	None; factory origin	Parents wear matching shirts, unaware of psychological cost
Music for Floor	Diesel engine and turret noise	Haunting pop remix; symbolism layered under backflips
Caloric Burn per Routine	Negligible (machine-based output)	~300–500 kcal (floor); ~100–200 kcal (other events)
Fuel Type	Diesel, ~300 L/100 km in combat ops	Balanced human diet; 2,500–4,000 kcal/day under load
Hydration	Engine coolant cycle	2–4 liters/day; affects cognition and timing
Injury Recovery	Parts replaced; downtime days to weeks	Ice baths, NSAIDs, skipped rehab, emotional suppression
Maintenance	Depot repairs; systemic replacements	Tape, massage, passive recovery, constant pain management
Sleep Requirements	None; power-off state	7–9 hrs recommended; typically disrupted
Downtime Between Events	Not required	5–15 minutes; not enough for recovery
Seasonal Offloading	Stored in motor pool	Brief off-season; used for forced rehab, not rest
Durability Over Time	15,000–20,000 km with overhauls	Peak age 16–22; chronic injuries after
Avg. Competition Score	N/A – not scorable due to FIG limitations	9.4–9.8 per event
Performance Decline	Predictable mechanical wear	Mental/physical exhaustion over season
Desire to Quit	No will, no autonomy	Thinks about quitting weekly, never will
Career End	Scrapped, possibly reused	Becomes coach, lives on caffeine and regret

Foreign variants

BMP-1 Derivatives (Non-Russian)

Variant	Country	Desription	Image
Boragh	Iran	Took a bad idea, made it bigger. More troop space, still gets shredded.
Saddam	Iraq	Slapped metal on it, broke suspension. Died like its namesake.
BMP-1U	Ukraine	Added a toy turret. Still thin as paper. Dies flashier now.
MLI-84	Romania	Longer, slower, heavier – just more target.
MLI-84M1	Romania/Israel	Now overpriced junk. Better turret, still fights like it’s 1975.
BMP-23	Bulgaria	Not a BMP, just has the name. Built on something else. Still crap.
BVP-1	Czechoslovakia	Identical to Soviet BMP-1, rots in depots.

BMP-2 Derivatives (Non-Russian)

Variant	Country	Description	Image
Sarath	India	2,500+ built. Most sit idle or burn. Soldiers pray before riding.
BVP-2	Czechoslovakia	Soviet design, local assembly. Just changes the logo.
BVP-M2 SKCZ	Slovakia	Fancy turret, still a BMP-2. No armor, no future.

BMP-3 Derivatives (Non-Russian use or upgrades)

Variant	Country	Desription	Image
2S38 Derivatsiya-PVO	Not used by Russia	Anti-air gun on BMP-3 chassis. No one’s dumb enough to adopt it yet.

There are more foreign variants of BMP family, however, they are irrelevant.

• Under-armored. Everyone adds weight, but not survivability. Still burns on contact.
• Overloaded. Upgrades strain ancient platforms. Engines die, crews die faster.
• Too late. Everyone modernizes 50-year-old crap. It’s not 1980 anymore.
• Used because they're cheap. Not because they're good. Usually no other option.
• No NATO survivability. In modern warfare, they’re target practice.

Operators

120 mm Self-propelled mortar PRAM-S (Czech army)

Russia

• Variants: BMP-1, BMP-2, BMP-2M, BMP-3, BMP-3M, BMP-3 Berezhok, BMP-3F, other testbeds.
• Still relies heavily on legacy BMPs despite catastrophic losses. BMP-2Ms are marginally more survivable, mostly on paper. BMP-3 is expensive, often wasted in low-value assaults.

Ukraine

• Variants: BMP-1, BMP-1U, BMP-2, BMP-2K, BMP-1AK, BMP-2AK
• Uses inherited Soviet BMPs and modernizes some with limited funding. Most are visibly degraded, some are improvised beyond recognition. High crew casualties standard.

Czech Republic

• Variants: BVP-1, BVP-2, OT-90, PRAM-S, AMB-S, VPV, Svatava, BVP-2V
• BMPs adapted into everything from ambulances to mortar carriers. Not because they were suited for it — but because they were cheap and available.

Slovakia

• Variants: BVP-1, BVP-2, BPsVI
• Modernizes using TURRA-30 turret — still based on a chassis that can be ripped apart by anti-tank rifles or RPGs.

Poland

• Variants: BWP-1, BWP-1M Puma
• Struggled to modernize the BWP-1. Puma upgrade did little to address structural vulnerability. Being phased out — finally.

Hungary

• Variants: BMP-1, BMP-2
• Most units retired. Retained for training or sold. Crew survivability concerns ended their service.

Germany

• Variants: BMP-1, BMP-2 (both called Schützenpanzer)
• Used by NVA. After reunification, most units were scrapped, sold, or converted into museum exhibits — or targets.

Syria

• Variants: BMP-1, BMP-2
• BMPs serve as mobile coffins in urban warfare. Some are retrofitted with crude metal armor — false sense of security. Frequently destroyed in open terrain by man-portable ATGMs.

Iraq

• Variants: BMP-1, BMP-2
• Widespread use under Saddam. Suffered horrific losses against NATO air power and armor. Those that survived were often torched in insurgent ambushes.

Iran

• Variants: BMP-1, BMP-2, Boragh (BMP-1 derivative)
• Boragh tries to fix some problems, but the fundamental vulnerabilities remain — especially mine protection and crew layout.

India

• Variants: BMP-2 (Sarath), BMP-1
• Still a backbone of India’s mechanized infantry. Used in hostile terrain with high temperatures and poor terrain. Human life is cheap — so is steel.

Finland

• Variants: BMP-1, BMP-2
• Now retired. Donated to Ukraine. Finland realized early the BMP wouldn't save anyone once a Javelin locks on.

Egypt

• Variants: BMP-1, BMP-2
• Still in use in support roles. Not suitable for any modern peer-level conflict.

Algeria

• Variants: BMP-1, BMP-2
• Retained in mechanized units, often hidden from international observation. Likely modified without documentation.

Libya

• Variants: BMP-1, BMP-2
• Became battlefield scrapyard post-2011. Rebels used them until they were charred metal. Some reworked into strange Frankenstein tanks.

North Korea

• Variants: BMP-1 copies
• Domestically produced clones. Very little is known, but based on observable doctrine, crew survivability is not prioritized.

Vietnam

• Variants: BMP-1, BMP-2
• Operated in swamps and jungle — where the platform was never meant to go. Maintenance hell.

Sudan

• Variants: BMP-1, BMP-2
• Used in dirty wars and against internal dissidents. Often deployed by militias. No training, no maintenance, no future.

Kazakhstan

• Variants: BMP-1, BMP-2, BMP-2M
• Maintains old Soviet stock. Uses them mostly for show or internal policing.

Belarus

• Variants: BMP-1, BMP-2, BMP-1AM Basurmanin
• Keeps them updated just enough to roll in parades. If war came, they wouldn’t last a week.

Afghanistan

• Variants: BMP-1, BMP-2
• Leftovers from the Soviet invasion. Then reused by every group from ANA to the Taliban. Most are barely functional. No armor, no spares, no mercy.

Sweden

• Variants: Pbv 501 (ex-German BMP-1A1 Ost), Pbv 502 (BMP-1 command variant)
• In the mid-1990s, Sweden — a nation normally associated with restraint and high standards in defense procurement — did something deeply ironic: it purchased 350 secondhand BMP-1A1 Ost vehicles from the freshly dissolved East German NVA. These were renamed Pbv 501 (Pansarbandvagn 501) and pressed into service, supposedly for training and evaluation purposes. They had been "westernized" with modifications like improved radios, fire suppression systems, and the removal of NBC overpressure systems. In other words: they removed the things that might barely help in a Soviet-era battlefield, but didn’t make them any safer. By 2005, Sweden had seen enough. The Pbv 501s were withdrawn from service. Many were scrapped. Some were sold off to other unfortunate countries or used as target hulks on firing ranges — arguably the most dignified fate these machines have ever had.

Other Operators

Angola, Ethiopia, Serbia, Cuba, Mozambique, Yemen, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, and more. In many cases, the BMPs are stripped, rotting, or being used for minefield clearance — by driving over them.