Key facts
- Russia has renamed the BMPT Terminator armored vehicle to 'Spiridon'.
- The rebranding aims to move away from associations with the Hollywood film franchise.
- Omsktransmash, a producer of the vehicle, highlighted the rebranding.
- A campaign to select a new name received over 2,000 proposals.
- The name 'Spiridon' was chosen for its spiritual associations and linguistic links to Russian military slang.
Russia has decided to rename its BMPT Terminator specialized armored vehicle to 'Spiridon'. This rebranding is intended to sever ties with its association with the Hollywood film franchise and to align the vehicle with Russian heritage. Omsktransmash, a heavy machinery plant that subcontracts for Uralvagonzavod, Russia's primary armored vehicle manufacturer, announced the change. The company stated that society and the army agree on moving away from foreign names, emphasizing that Russian armor has its own character and history with more heroes than Western movies.
A campaign to select a new name for the system was initiated in late 2025, attracting over 2,000 suggestions. The name 'Spiridon' emerged as the preferred choice due to its spiritual connotations, being a traditional Russian male name of Greek origin associated with saints. Additionally, it is derived from a Greek word meaning 'box,' which echoes Russian military slang for armored vehicles. The Russian military commonly assigns historical or geographical names to its weaponry, though humorous or symbolic names are also used, such as naming heavy artillery systems after flowers or historical figures.