Firefighter driving lessons in Myslenice

On May 4 of this year, on the occasion of Fireman’s Day, an unusual vehicle was presented at the fire station of the Myslenice District State Fire Department.
In appearance, it resembled a Mercedes Axor, but many people could see in it a Russian Kamaz T1829, although the grille of the radiator bore the Autobags brand logo.
Questions immediately arose about the origin of the truck and its role in the firefighting fleet. The Kamaz T1829, part of the Kamaz K4 series, was the result of a now-defunct collaboration between the Russians and Germans.
The project, completed in the middle of the previous decade, was based on components from the Mercedes Axor, enriched with a 6.7-liter Cummins engine and a ZF 9-speed transmission.
The goal was to create a cheap and simple alternative to Western trucks, mainly for the Russian market.
Nevertheless, sales of models with Cummins Euro 6 engines also began in Poland and Lithuania, thanks to Autobags, which operates in both countries.
The situation changed drastically in 2022, when Russia made a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Kamaz was subjected to severe sanctions, Germany’s Daimler Truck divested its stake in the company, and Autobagi had to end its cooperation with its Russian partner.
As a result, assembly kits destined for the EU market stopped arriving at the Lithuanian assembly plant.
So where did the vehicle recently handed over in Myslenice come from?
Autobags Poland explains that a number of assembly kits imported before the war and the imposition of sanctions remained in Lithuania.
So it was decided to assemble trucks from them, removing all Kamaz emblems and using the Autobags brand.
It was also stipulated that no profits from the sale of these vehicles would go to Russia. Two such vehicles, branded as Autobags T1829, were ordered by the Regional Headquarters of the State Fire Service in Krakow. One of them has already been in operation for several weeks, and the other has just appeared at the ceremony in Myslenice. It is a truck designed for driving training, as part of the nationwide Category C training program for professional and volunteer firefighters.
It has a two-axle configuration with a single cab and box body.