The BMPT (known unofficially as the 'Terminator' by its manufacturer) is an armored fighting vehicle designed to support tanks (in a 2:1 ratio) against enemy infantry in urban or rugged areas. It was conceived largely as a result of the experiences of the Chechnya Wars, and as a result is very heavily armored, being built on the chassis of either the T-72 or T-90 tanks. It is similar in design to an IFV, albeit without a troop compartment. It features a remotely controlled, unmanned turret equipped with twin 30-mm autocannons, as well as Ataka-T ATGMs, grenade launchers, and secondary machine guns. Aside from the protection offered by the MBT hull, the BMPT features Relikt explosive reactive armor (ERA), as well as other active and passive defense measures. NBC protection is also afforded to the crew, and it can be fitted with mine-clearing devices as well. Given the commonality with the T-72/90, existing tanks may be converted into BMPTs which is an attractive option for export customers seeking to extend the life of their older tanks. More recent versions may be based on the Armata Universal Combat Platform. Although some BMPT units were taken in Russian service in the early 2000s for testing, the first customer was Kazakhstan which has been granted license production. Formal entry into the Russian Army began in 2018 with low-scale production underway. It has been reported in early 2023 that at least a small number of BMPTs have been operational in Ukraine although widespread use is unlikely.

The concept of a tank support vehicle originated following the heavy tank losses to infantry seen in the two Chechnya wars and resulted in numerous prototypes before accepting Obyekt 199 as the precursor to the BMPT. A follow up was known as the BMPT-72 Terminator-2 which are export conversions of existing T-72 tanks rather than new builds, and with slightly different specifications. The newest Russian BMPT Terminator-3 is based on the T-90 hull while future variants may use the more modern Armata platform instead.