New video appears to show Ukrainians using US-supplied M1117 Armored Vehicle for first time

• A new video appears to show Ukrainians using the M1117 Armored Security Vehicle.
• The video was posted on TikTok by Ukraine's 425th Separate Assault Battalion.

Ukrainian troops have finally showcased the M1117 Armored Security Vehicle pledged by the US back in 2022.

In a video posted on TikTok by Ukraine's 425th Separate Assault Battalion, also known as the "Skala" Battalion, the US-made vehicle appears to maneuver easily across the uneven ground as Ukrainian troops hold on to the side.

The video is likely taken at a Ukrainian training ground, though Business Insider could not verify the exact location of the video independently or when it was shot.

A long time coming

The ASVs were first pledged to Ukraine in November 2022 when the Biden Administration announced a $400-million military aid package that included 250 refurbished M1117 ASVs and other equipment and aid.

In September 2023, the Ukrainian military site Militarny reported that it would take another 18 months to complete the conversion and maintenance of the 250 M1117s. At a briefing later that year, US officials were instructed to expedite the process.

The M1117, also known as the Guardian, is a 4×4 armored vehicle manufactured by Textron Marine & Land Systems. It is specifically designed to provide enhanced protection against mines and small arms fire and is more heavily protected and armed than the US-made military vehicle, the Humvee.

The ASV has a one-person turret, a 40mm automatic grenade launcher, and a .50-caliber machine gun.

The M1117 was highly rated in wars waged by the US in Iraq and Afghanistan. As of 2008, the US had produced 2,058 M1117s, but in 2019, it was decided to gradually replace it with the Oshkosh M-ATV MRAP.

US aid to Ukraine

The US has been Ukraine's largest military backer, donating more than $40 billion in aid since Russia's invasion two years ago. However, in recent months, US aid to Kyiv has stalled in Congress.

The Washington Post reported last week that US officials predicted a bleak scenario for Ukraine on the battlefield if President Joe Biden's $60 billion military aid request failed to make it through Congress.

"There is no future that is bright for Ukraine without a supplemental and continued U.S. support," one anonymous senior official said.

During a recent trip to Kyiv, US national security advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters that he knew there were "questions here because of the back-and-forth in our Congress and the months that have gone by without the supplemental bill coming through."

Nonetheless, he remained resolute, saying: "We are confident we will get this done," he said. "We will get this aid to Ukraine."