Burkina Faso has taken delivery of Shrek-M mine detection and disposal vehicles from Ukraine. This is the second delivery this year seeing as three others were delivered in June.
The vehicles have been outfitted with mine disposal equipment include a manipulator arm with a six-meter reach. It can lift up to 300 kg and dig and grab suspicious objects. The arm is controlled remotely from inside the vehicle with the assistance of a video monitor.
The Shrek-M is manufactured by KrAZ and based on the 4×4 KrAZ-5233 vehicle chassis, which features a V-shaped hull for blast and landmine protection.
The vehicles are expected to aid in the fight against terror organizations like Boko Haram which is active in parts of the country neighboring Nigeria. Burkina Faso is part of a multi-national joint task force against Boko Haram and ISWAP with other countries in the Lake Chad Basin.
