Introduction

The following introduction is taken from the ICM website:

The ‘Kozak-2’ armored car, belonging to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, was developed by the Ukrainian enterprise ‘Scientific and Production Association ‘Praktika” in 2009. Initially, a prototype named the SRM-1 ‘Kozak’ was produced, but mass production was not initiated at that time due to several reasons. Subsequently, in 2014, specialists from Praktika began designing a new armored car based on the Kozak SRM-1, using the Iveco Eurocargo chassis. By spring 2015, the Kozak-2 variant was introduced. This armored vehicle falls into the MRAP class of combat vehicles, designed to protect the crew from mines and ambushes. Its functionalities include patrolling, vehicle escorting, communications, and providing fire support for personnel in battle. The crew is protected by armor from small arms fire with a caliber of 7.62 mm, ammunition fragments, and mines. The vehicle is equipped with anti-traumatic seats fitted with five-point seat belts for the crew and passengers. The armament options for the Kozak-2 include various types of machine guns. Armored vehicles utilized by the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine are equipped with DShKM heavy machine guns as weaponry. These machine guns are highly effective and can successfully engage even armored vehicles.

Review

This offering from ICM arrives in a flip top cardboard tray with a separate outer lid showing the artwork. Inside the sprues are packaged in a single plastic bag, with the clear parts and tyres in their own bags within the main bag. An examination of the sprues reveals a number of ejector pin marks, which may be hidden but I am not 100% sure. If there are any issues these will be located inside the crew area of the model. Flow marks are present on most of the larger mouldings, but they do not to have appeared to have caused any issues to worry about. The gates between the parts and the sprue are a little larger than I would like, but are of an acceptable size. 

In typical ICM fashion the chassis of this release is a multi part affair, but you will be saved as you could add one rail to the floor of the model and build  it up from there rather than tackling it as a separate body. You will need to check that I am correct in my belief, but I cannot see any obvious reason for that not to be the case. The leaf spring suspension units are supplied in 2 halves and so may leave a seam that may need to be tackled. Axle detail is of a very pleasing standard, but again you cannot show the wheels turned - which is a pet hate of mine. Engine detail is restricted to what can be seen from the underside but no other detail is provided, which is an  unusual state with ICM.

The crew interior of the model generally appears to be very well tackled, with all of the obvious detail present with the dashboard receiving some special attention from the use of decals. I am sure that you will not be surprised to hear that ICM has not included any harnesses for the seats. The armoured sides of the vehicle save the modeller a lot of problems, as it hides the ejector pin marks present here and provides good interior and exterior detail and also provides the bulky thickness of the vehicle. Armoured glass has been replicated in the release, along with what I believe to be firing ports beneath them. Having seen one of these models of the Kozak from ICM fully finished I will say that the interior can be made to look very nice. One area here that I know will need to be treated for ejector pin marks is the interior of the roof, it is minor but it is best practice to remedy. 

The shell of the model has good surface detail throughout, with good consideration having been given to it’s assembly as regards how easy it is. Both the side and rear doors have separate inner and outer panels and can be displayed open, with the door furniture being added as separate parts - an aspect that I approve of in all regards. The mine protection on the underside of the model is to the best of my knowledge accurately replicated. The model is fitted with all terrain tyres with very nice tread and side wall detail, but a number of modellers will not be pleased to find that these are made of vinyl rubber. Exterior detail such as mirrors, wiper arms and grab handles have all been nicely replicated in the release. An open rotatable roof turret is included with a machine gun fitted on this occasion. Armoured glass provides the gunner with a reasonable degree of vision around the turret, with the front being further protected by a shield. I cannot help but think that the open topped turret does represent a risk to the 10 men within, as a simple roof would deduce the risk of a grenade or inflammable item entering the interior of the vehicle. 

ICM has provided 5 finishing options for this model and that also includes digital camouflage decals for those wishing to utilise it. I personally would prefer to cut them out and use them as masks, or for making tape masks. The 5 finishing options for this release are:

Kozak 2, Zhuravlivka Border Crossing Point, Kharkiv Region, Spring 2016

Kozak 2, Lviv, December 2016

Kozak 2, Military Exercises “Rapid Trident 2018”, September 2018

Kozak 2, Military  Exercises “Rapid Trident 2019”, YAVORIV, September 2018

Kozak 2, Special Taskforce “SHQVAL”, December 2020

Conclusion

ICM continues to release models of vehicles engaged in Ukraine's current war with Russia and does a pretty fair job of catching a lot of the finesse of the differences between Ukrainian and Russian vehicles of the same types. The disappointment for me with their releases is that they miss simple details, such as the harness detail for the seats, and with the current cost of model kits modellers expect these sort of detail to be included. That said, this is the only omission that I can really lay at their door as a complaint. As detail otherwise is pleasing.