Germany's Marder infantry fighting vehicle was designed to fight the Soviet Army during the Cold War. More than 50 years later, it's fighting Russian forces in Ukraine, and even taking part in Ukrainian assaults inside Russia itself.

But how well has the Marder actually performed in Ukraine? And how many have been destroyed?

In this episode, we follow the German Marder 1A3 through nearly four years of combat, from Ukraine's disastrous 2023 counteroffensive around Robotyne and Verbove to the extraordinary Ukrainian assault on Malaya Loknya in Russia's Kursk region.

Using real combat footage, battlefield reports, and visually confirmed equipment losses documented by Oryx and LostArmour, we examine how the Marder has survived Russian anti-tank missiles, Lancet loitering munitions, FPV drones, artillery and some of the most heavily defended positions of the war.

We also compare the Marder's combat losses with those of the American M2 Bradley, examine its ageing armour, 20mm autocannon and battlefield survivability, and ask whether this Cold War veteran has exceeded expectations.

In this episode:

Why Germany initially delayed delivering Marder IFVs to Ukraine

The Marder's first combat operations during the 2023 counteroffensive

Ukrainian Marders fighting inside Russia during the Kursk offensive

The extraordinary fighting at Malaya Loknya

Russian Lancet, FPV drone and anti-tank missile attacks

Confirmed Marder losses from 2023 to 2026

Marder vs Bradley: Which has suffered greater losses?

Why Ukraine continues using these 50-year-old German fighting vehicles

How effective has the Marder really been, and has it proven more survivable than its modern counterparts?

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