The BTR-4 "Bucephalus" (Ukrainian: БТР-4 «Буцефал», romanized: Butsefal, abbreviation of Бронетранспортер, Bronetransporter, 'armoured transporter') is an amphibious 8x8 wheeled infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) designed in Ukraine by the Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau (SOE KMDB).


The prototype, which was designed as a private venture, was unveiled at the Aviasvit 2006 exhibition held in Kyiv in June 2006.^[​2][​3] A serial production started in late 2008. The first series of ten BTRs entered service with the army of Ukraine in 2009.^[​4] In 2009, the BTR-4 was presented as a candidate for replacing the Pegaso BMR as the next infantry combat vehicle of the Spanish Army.^[​5]

In 2012, the Iraqi Ministry of Defence ordered 420 Ukrainian BTR-4E IFVs.^[​6] However, only 88 vehicles were delivered from the order, as the Iraqi Ministry of Defense cancelled the contract due to quality issues.^[​7] The Ukrainian army thus took over 52 BTR-4E IFVs originally intended for Iraq.^[​6] In April 2014, units of the National Guard of Ukraine received their first BTR-4E IFVs, and during late May and early June they were already involved in the siege of Sloviansk, which was liberated on 5 July 2014, with the separatists and Russians withdrawing to Donetsk.^[​8] During the fighting at Sloviansk, soldiers praised the new BTR-4E, especially for its armour, mobility, and optics.^[​8] Vehicles withstood enemy machine gun fire and RPGs, and the slat-armor and Kevlar layer also protected the crews from shrapnel.^[​7] On October 4, 2014, separatists posted a photo of a captured Ukrainian BTR-4K, a commander's version of the BTR-4.^[​7] The vehicle had a slat-armor and was repainted.^[​7] It served with the Vostok Battalion, which was composed mainly of Russian GRU officers.^[​8]