Slovak company STV Machinery has produced the first two prototype hulls for the BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle after a 36-year break in production. The plant in Dubnica nad Váhom began developing an updated design in 2024, and a contract with an unnamed foreign customer was signed in late 2025, with serial production scheduled for 2026 to 2027.

The Slovak outlet Future Army reported this on 15 August, citing STV Group's director of special projects, Pavel Beran. He said one prototype is being used to test final assembly and the integration of weapons systems, while the second is undergoing physical and stress testing. The company will not disclose the customer's identity, citing security and business-ethics considerations.

Ukraine has a substantial need for armoured vehicles. Its forces already use and modernise the BMP-1, and cooperation with Western manufacturers could help replenish the fleet faster. In 2024, for example, Ukraine and Germany's Rheinmetall agreed to produce the Lynx IFV and to expand defence cooperation.

The Slovak plant has returned to BMP-1 production

According to Militarnyi, the new hulls remain outwardly similar to the Soviet BMP-1 design but have been reworked to more modern requirements. STV Machinery revised the design to meet NATO standards for ergonomics and materials, and strengthened the armour using more modern materials.

Future vehicles will offer a choice of powerplant, with Western-made engines among the options. STV Machinery, the Slovak firm, will produce the hulls and other components, after which its Czech sister company STV Group will carry out full assembly and testing.

The exact size of the order is not yet known, though earlier reports suggested production could eventually reach up to 100 hulls a year.

The company has not named the customer. Defense Express suggested as early as December 2025 that it could be Ukraine. One scenario the outlet floated was the supply of hulls or turretless vehicles, which would allow other combat modules to be fitted.

Why Slovakia is building the BMP-1 again

The Dubnica nad Váhom plant previously built licensed versions of the BMP-1, known locally as the BVP-1. Serial production there ran until 1989, after which the plant went more than three decades without making new hulls for the vehicle. The site is the same, but the manufacturer is not: the original vehicles came off the ZŤS Dubnica nad Váhom line in the Czechoslovak era, while today's hulls are made by STV Machinery.

At the same time, the BMP-1 remains a vehicle of the 1960s. Even a modernised hull does not change the platform's fundamental limitations, particularly its level of protection. So if Ukraine really is behind the order, it is likely more a way to rapidly increase the number of armoured vehicles than a long-term replacement for modern Western IFVs, Defense Express noted in 2025.

Also Defense Express stressed that the customer's identity remains only speculation, adding that the buyer could turn out to be another country that operates or once operated the BMP-1, and that firmer detail will have to wait for the company.

The Dutch Defense Ministry will finance the production of 20 Ermine ground vehicles for Ukraine, German defense manufacturer Rheinmetall announced on June 25.

The contract, signed during the NATO summit in The Hague, marks the first order for the new-generation tactical platform. Ukraine will become the first country in the world to receive the Ermine.

The Ermine, developed by Rheinmetall Defence Nederland, is designed primarily for front-line evacuation missions.

The light buggies provide fast, maneuverable transport for wounded personnel in combat zones. Rheinmetall said the deliveries are expected to begin in 2026.

According to Rheinmetall, the Ermine is a "lightweight tactical system that combines the robustness of a diesel unit with many advantages of an electric drive."

It's a modular system that comes in four configurations — 4x4 quad, 4x4/6x6 buggy, or Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV).

The Ermine combines a diesel engine with an electric motor that allows for what Rheinmetall describes as "Silent Move & Silent Watch," and has a range of up 1,200 kilometers, and can carry up to a tonne.

"The electrical powertrain makes the Ermine almost silent. It is capable of driving up to 50 km silently through heavy terrain and up to 100 km on the road," the company said.

"The system offers its users significant tactical advantages in avoiding enemy reconnaissance."

The electrical engine can even provide charging points for soldiers out in the field.

On June 24, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof presented a new military aid package for Ukraine, including 100 drone radar systems, front-line vehicles, and 80 million euros (over $90 million) for the drone initiative.

The NATO summit concluded on June 25 with a joint pledge by member states to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. The updated target reflects shifting priorities within the Alliance as the war in Ukraine drags into its fourth year.

Unlike in previous years, the 2025 summit communique did not include an explicit condemnation of Russia's invasion. Still, the final statement reaffirmed support for Ukraine and said assistance to its defense industry will count toward the new spending benchmark.

President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.S. President Donald Trump during the summit, where the two leaders discussed battlefield developments, Kyiv's need for additional air defense systems, and the potential for co-production of drones.

"They (Ukraine) do want to have the anti-missiles, as they call them, the Patriots, and we're going to see if we can make some available," Trump said. "They are very hard to get. We need them too. We are supplying them for Israel, and they are very effective."

Trump's remarks signal a potential boost to Ukraine's air defense capabilities, which have come under increasing strain amid intensifying Russian attacks.

Meloni tells Trump US must show ‘same determination’ on Ukraine as with Iran

“I said the same determination is needed to achieve two other important ceasefires,” Meloni said.

The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy