BBM? Abbreviation has stumped me.

[kato13]

I consider myself knowledgeable on the Russian military compared to the average news reader but this has stumped me. By context clues I am assuming APC IFV or such but I am not sure (Given BTR and BMPs). Could be soft skin vehicles with the odd rule that sometimes everything with armor and a gun is a tank.

Even context clues have failed me. - Raymond Holt


https://theprint.in/world/inflicted-800-casualties-among-russian-forces-claims-ukraine-defence-ministry/847024/

“Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Malyar informs: Estimated losses of the enemy as of 03:00 25.02.2022 Aircraft 7 units Helicopters 6 units Tanks – more than 30 units. BBM – 130 units. The loss of enemy personnel is approximately (to be specified) 800 people,” Ukraine’s Defense Ministry tweeted in Ukrainian.

https://kyivindependent.com/national/russia-faces-heavy-losses-as-it-attacks-ukraine-on-all-fronts/



Russia lost 14 planes, 8 helicopters, 102 tanks, 536 BBM, 15 heavy machine guns, and 1 BUK missile since Feb. 24, according to Ukraine’s military.




It is not in this. (Frist google result to a reference material)
https://irp.fas.org/world/russia/sovmil-glossary.pdf

Any thoughts? Internal Ukrainian nomenclature perhaps as they all seem to come from casualty estimates from the Ukrainian govt/military

[Tegyrius]

Google Translate gives me "бойова броньована машина" or "boyova bronʹovana mashyna" as the Ukrainian translation of "armored fighting vehicle." Looks like they adopted (Ukrainized?) the western terminology and no one back-translated the acronym when the reports hit the Anglophone news media.

- C.

[kato13]

Thanks.

At least my instincts didn't fail me when my knowledge did.