Russian/Soviet APCs and IFVs are actually pretty lightly armored. When I was in the Infantry Officer Basic Course back in 1996, we were taught that 7.62 NATO AP ammo could punch holes in BTRs, at least from the sides. .50 cal AP will put holes in BMPs, although not reliably from the front because of how sloped the armor is.ATX_AG_08 said:
That's nuts. They wreck out bad. Fatalities certainI really don’t understand why Russia even makes IFVs or APCs anymore. If everyone just rides on top what is the point pic.twitter.com/ILqIJVxkc0
— Lost Weapons (@LostWeapons) October 30, 2022
My first platoon sergeant in my first unit was a Gulf War vet. He told me that they stopped firing 25mm sabot ammo at the BMPs, because it would just blow right through without much effect, unless it hit something solid inside. They used HE instead.
U.S. troops in Vietnam did the same thing with the M113, and for the same reason. The armor quite often will not stop rounds from getting in, but it will keep them from going back out.