The Russian occupation forces are equipped with a variety of rare military hardware, one of which is the heavy flame-thrower combat vehicle BMO-T. Its serial production began back in 2001, but according to open source assessments, there are only about 10 of these vehicles in service. According to the Oryx portal, since February 2022, Russia has lost at least four of these machines, three of which were destroyed, and one was captured as a trophy by our Defense Forces.
Meanwhile, Russian media have recently decided to mention this rare vehicle, suggesting that with "minimal modifications," it could be transformed into a "heavy armored personnel carrier"—specifically by equipping it with grills, adding electronic warfare systems, smoke grenade launchers, remote-controlled machine guns, and more.
The rationale behind this decision is that the BMO-T, in addition to its two crew members, can transport up to seven paratroopers. Furthermore, the vehicle can accommodate 30 units of the RPO-A "Shmel" flame-throwers, each weighing 11 kg—under the Russian plan, they could potentially eliminate these in the heavy APC variant.
In this context, it is worth mentioning an incident from July of last year when an image of a heavy APC based on the T-72 or T-90 chassis surfaced online. It was spotted during tests near the "Uralvagonzavod," and it seems that the vehicle still had the "option" to be converted into a heavy infantry fighting vehicle. The question is, do they have many tanks available for conversion.
It should also be noted that as early as 2023, a heavy APC based on the T-64 tank with a removed turret and enhanced dynamic protection was observed in service with the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
Subsequently, more details about this heavy APC emerged, revealing that it is in service with the 93rd Brigade, having arrived from the factory. The vehicle is designated BTR-T, and its troop compartment can accommodate eight personnel with their equipment.