Italy is preparing to send a new military aid package to Ukraine, which includes 400 M113 armored personnel carriers and a satellite surveillance system. The aid package, the 11th from Italy since the start of the conflict, was presented by Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto to the Parliamentary Committee on Public Safety on May 17, 2025.
The M113 armored vehicles, first introduced in 1960, are valued by Ukrainian forces for transporting infantry units and providing fire support. The satellite surveillance system will assist in planning and coordinating reconnaissance operations.
Some reports indicate that the vehicles being sent are VCC-2 Camilino models, an Italian modernization of the American M113A1. These feature enhanced side armor and an open turret. While Italy may have modernized up to 1,200 M113 APCs to the VCC-2 version, some were scrapped in 2022, and not all of the remaining vehicles are expected to be combat-ready.