Refitted armored vehicle or personal carrier are available in Ukraine for private use and that too at a very affordable cost of about $10K...(Image/ tehnika.mpg.in.ua)

Owning an armoured vehicle, a tank or even a fighter jet can be the dream of any wealthy and flaunting person around the world, but it is not possible for them to buy the one in normal circumstances.

But,  if you are a fan of fighter “toys” and wanted to know where and how to buy an old military used heavy machine or tank, you just have to learn it from Ukrainian nouveau-riche as they have gone ahead of their western counterparts who are content with buying only armored cars.

These days, it has become a fashion to flaunt tanks and armoured vehicles among wealthy Ukrainians. Now doubt that these super rich people trave around the cities on Merc or Ferraris, but for fishing and hunting they prefer to go on “men’s machines” – such as armored personnel carriers and even tanks, from which, however, arms have been removed, reports Sevodnya.

You can find any number of advertisements on the internet selling such equipment, and vendors say that the demand for these toys has grown manifold during the last few years, irrespective of the fact that economic slump has gripped the entire Europe.

A vendor by the name of Alexander in an interview to  Sevodnya  told that they sell armored personnel carriers, combat vehicles, BRDMs (combat reconnaissance patrol vehicles), helicopters and even airplanes. He added that the entire inventory is available only 20 km from the capiatl Kiev.

Who will say that this is the inside of an old Soviet combat reconnaissance patrol vehicle or BRDM? (Image via tehnika.mpg.in.ua)

In regards to prices, for example, Alexander said that a refitted BRDM costs just 80 thousand Ukrainian Hryvnias (appx. 10,000 US $).  As far as legalization and registration of papers is concerned, the machines have been classified as special equipment, and the entire process in traffic department (including issuance of license number plate) takes just up to 2 weeks. You can sit behind the wheels if you have a category D driver’s license.

Alexander also told Sevodnya that his clients mainly include the heads of administrations and various nouveau-riche. Usually they buy such cars for hunting and fishing trips, besides owners also organize competitions of military equipment and stage (dramatize) army fights and battles. Recently, he received an enquiry asking for a T-64 tank.

Alexander said that he had no idea why the client needed it, but they had it in stock, with much of equipemnt removed from it and the tank is unfit for battle. It costs about 100 thousand Hryvnias (10,000 US $).

You can also buy armored personnel vehicles, but they can not be used for moving around the city, in contrast to BRDM, which are smaller in size, and consume lesser fuel – 35 liters of petrol for 100 kilometers. Inside the BRDM or combat reconnaissance patrol vehicles, you can have a bar with leather seats.

Alexander told that he recently sold such a “vehicle” to the one of administrations officials from Odessa. Most of the buyers are from regions and demand is not so high in the capital Kiyev.

When asked about the source from where he buys armoured vehicles and tanks, Alexander just replied that they sell it legally.

Owner of many armored vehicles Sergey Orlovsky from Boyarka in Kiev region told Sevodnya that the craze for abandoned army technology really exists.

He said that he rides on armored vehicles on lakes, and luxuriously rolls through forests.

Orlovsky says that the technology is for amateurs, and there is no dearth of such people and it has a special also as for example, wedding ride on a car is a common affair, but the one on APC can be surprising. He said that he gets many requests from friends and others  to ride in his armored vehicles.
Anyways, it is good that the huge stock of armoured vehicles and tanks is helping the “soldiers” of erstwhile USSR to flaunt their money, but at the same time the question remains what about the hige stock piles of arsenal.

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