The RG-31 Nyala armored ambulance donated by Spain to Ukraine and its current appearance

We recently heard news about one of the armored vehicles donated by Spain to Ukraine as military aid against the Russian invasion.

The Spanish BMR VRAC reappears in Ukraine as a 'Mad Max'-style armored vehicle
The rare prototype of the Spanish BMR armored vehicle that appeared in Ukraine

In March 2022, Spain donated an RG-31 Mk5E Nyala armored ambulance to Ukraine, a military vehicle specially designed to be resistant to landmines and improvised explosive devices. The RG-31 Nyala is a vehicle manufactured by BAE Systems Land Systems OMC in South Africa. It is a 4x4 vehicle, 6.4 meters long, 2.47 meters wide, and 2.63 meters high, with 420 mm of armor.

In 2007, Spain acquired 150 RG-31s ​​of a Spanish-modified version of the Mk5 variant, the Mk5E. Of the units acquired, 85 are the personnel carrier variant, 10 are the ambulance version, and 5 are the command post version. The vehicles were assembled in Spain by General Dynamics Santa Bárbara Sistemas at its factory in Alcalá de Guadaíra (Seville), using materials shipped from South Africa.

On March 27, 2022, the Spanish Ministry of Defence announced that the Air Force would transport "an armored ambulance to help evacuate the wounded from the cities most affected by the war in Ukraine", noting that the RG-31 "stands out for the safety it provides to the crew." These three photos of the RG-31 ambulance were published by the Ministry of Defence that day.

On March 31, 2022, Infodefensa TV published this video showing the arrival of the RG-31 at a point near the border with Ukraine (the location was not specified for security reasons, but the delivery was surely made in Poland) aboard an A400M transport aircraft of the 31st Wing of the Spanish Air Force:

On April 24, 2026, the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Army posted a series of photos of this vehicle, during a medical evacuation exercise carried out by its 2nd Battalion. According to the Ukrainian blogger MilitaryNewsUA, this vehicle was delivered by Spain. It is unknown whether more RG-31s ​​were sent to Ukraine from Spain.

As we can see in the images, the RG-31 has been fitted with cage armor, also known as slat armor, which provides some protection against RPG-type rocket-propelled grenades. Apparently, the vehicle still retains the olive-green paint it wore when operated by the Spanish Army.

---

Photos: Ministerio de Defensa / 3-тя окрема штурмова бригада.