Italy plans to send 400 M113 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine

Italy is preparing its eleventh package of military aid to Ukraine, which will include 400 M113 armored personnel carriers, according to il Giornale.

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto presented the eleventh military aid package to the Committee on Public Security, which Italy plans to send to Ukraine.

The package will include a satellite surveillance system necessary for planning intelligence operations, as well as 400 tracked armored vehicles of the M113 type.

The media notes that the Italian army has been using these armored personnel carriers since the 1970s, and they are still in service in several countries, including Israel.

The authors also noted that since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, Ukraine has received several hundred tracked M113 armored personnel carriers and their variants from various NATO countries, including the YPR-765 and M577 Command Post Carrier.

According to the Ukrainian side, the tracked M113 armored personnel carriers provided by Western partners have proven to be “reliable assets” for the army. The light armor and maneuverability of these vehicles help perform combat tasks on the front lines.

Thanks to their compact size, minimal training required for combat use, and modifications such as anti-drone nets often seen on the vehicles, the M113 effectively transports troops to designated areas and evacuates the wounded from the battlefield.

• In January, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov met with his Italian counterpart Guido Crosetto in Kyiv. They agreed to strengthen defense cooperation between the two countries.