Souvenirs rain down from heavy mortars
Striking deep into the enemy’s lair
The last word is had by the Sich gunners
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Rostov gets its grim cargo of despair,
(c) Ukrainian band Komu Vnyz, “Artillery March” (words by Dmytro Savchenko)
Sumy is a cornerstone of Ukrainian artillery. This city birthed specialised educational institutions, a missile forces and artillery research centre, and the legendary 27th Artillery Brigade named after Kish otaman Petro Kalnyshevsky. [Kish otaman was the elected leader and main commander of the Zaporozhian Cossacks – ed.]
In 2014, Pavlo Narozhnyi from Sumy launched Reactive Post – a specialised charitable foundation dedicated solely to artillerymen. Initially supporting just the 27th Brigade, its reach has since expanded to over 40 units.
Today, millions of hryvnias flow through this focused fund each month. It delivers everything from wooden mock-ups of M777 howitzers to Bosch vacuum cleaners for cleaning dust from German self-propelled guns, all sent to the front lines.
The fund’s specialists also procure imported military gear, build mobile workshops and equip officer headquarters – boosting Ukrainian artillery where state resources fall short.
Since 2022, Reactive Post has turbocharged its efforts. Despite the rise of FPV drones, artillery remains a vital, uniquely effective weapon against the Russians, growing stronger with each passing year.
Pavlo’s office feels more like a museum of Ukrainian artillery – adorned with autographed flags, chevrons, acknowledgments, fragments of rare ammunition and vintage gear. Over two hours, we delved into the finest howitzers in Ukraine’s arsenal, the evolution of the Bohdana self-propelled gun, the rivalry between traditional tubed artillery and FPV drones, and the edge Ukrainian artillery holds over Russian forces.
Will FPV drones outshine artillery?
So many songs celebrate Ukrainian artillery. What’s your favourite?
Probably the iconic Arta by the band Pyriatyn. It captures the artillery spirit like no other.
If you picture marines, you see ripped fighters taking down enemies with their bare hands. But gunners are a different breed. They’re not the fittest guys – often smokers, lounging in trenches, wielding wrenches to fine-tune howitzers to perfection.
Artillerymen are all about gruelling daily labour; they spend more time prepping than firing.
There’s a lot of buzz about attack drones, but little about artillery’s technological leap forward. It might seem outdated or Soviet-era. What’s the real story?
With the start of the full-scale war, the use of artillery transformed. Starlink and reconnaissance drones became standard. What does this entail?
Until 2022, artillery fire was mostly adjusted by people with binoculars and laser rangefinders. Now that’s much less common, and fire is directed by reconnaissance drones.
This is a huge change in accuracy, ammunition economy and reaction speed. You can fire immediately and record a hit. From spotting a target to firing, it’s now just minutes.
Pavlo Narozhnyi in the Reactive Post office
Today, artillery has large, modern headquarters. Artillerymen use the Kropyva (Nettle) program, into which range tables are loaded for almost all types of ammunition, of which we have about 50 different types and manufacturers. There, you can also calculate the installation height of a video camera for observing one object or another.
Kropyva itself has a support service. A new shell arrives, the gunner writes to the operator and asks about it. And they tell him that this particular projectile is identical to another, so he needs to input this, this and that into the table.
Some whisper artillery’s days are numbered with FPV drones on the rise…
FPV is a high-precision tool, but it most often carries 2-3 kilograms of explosives. An artillery projectile, if we’re talking about 152-/155-calibres, is 8 kg of explosives and 40 kg of the projectile itself, which is also very important. And it falls on the enemy at supersonic speed.
Let’s imagine a concrete dugout. Russians know about drones; they hang nets and install steel doors that won’t be easy to break through. But an artillery shell will simply destroy it through the roof.
If you take 30 cm of concrete, FPV drones won’t break through such reinforcement. Artillery, on the other hand, boasts special concrete-piercing shells where the detonator is at the back, not the front. This means the projectile flies into the fortification, breaks through the concrete at speed and explodes inside.
And we’ve only just started with the types of ammunition. For example, there are also cluster munitions. These contain 88 grenades, 10 of which are cumulative. A very effective tool against assaults.
There’s also a remote mining projectile. Those are fantastic – our soldiers have fired tens of thousands of them. They open in the air and sow the area with explosive pucks – small gray boxes. They explode when an infantryman steps on them or an armoured vehicle drives over them.
Very often, we see a video of a drone finishing off a tank that has just stopped in the field. And why did it stop there? Because its tracks were torn off by this ammunition.
Back in ATO times, we were wowed by videos of Ukrainian artillery batteries unleashing synchronised salvoes on Russians. Where’d that go? [ATO or the Anti-Terrorist Operation is a term used from 2014 to 2018 by the media, the government of Ukraine and the OSCE to identify combat actions in parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts against Russian military forces and pro-Russian separatists – ed.]
Now we operate exclusively with one gun from hidden positions. This happened for two reasons.
The first is thanks to our reconnaissance drones, which allow pinpoint targeting.
The second is that enemy FPVs and Lancet drones are constantly on the hunt for our equipment and responding to clusters of forces.
Salvo of the Uragan MLRS from the 27th Artillery Brigade
Which Ukrainian artillery system shines brightest in this war?
I am a big fan of the Swedish Archer. This is a fully automated self-propelled gun, a marvel from all points of view. A person presses a button, the armoured capsule rises by itself, stands on the jacks by itself, the system itself takes the powder charge, and shoots with surgical accuracy for 40+ kilometres. There is even a pan in the cabin to prepare lunch.
But it has its own nuances. Once I asked how its maintenance was going. It requires 22 (!) types of lubricant to keep it in combat condition.
Pavlo Narozhnyi beside the Swedish Archer self-propelled gun
The same goes for the German Panzerhaubitze 2000. I really like it. It is accurate, fast. A big plus is that it is based on the Leopard 2 tank. The crew is completely armoured. Officers from one unit said: ‘We have most of the crews concussed by attacks, but no one has been killed yet.’
Yet it’s a diva. Once, the 43rd Brigade’s Oleh Shevchuk rang me for eight Bosch vacuum cleaners – I thought, what’s this, cleaning day? It turned out that the system is very sensitive to dust, and it needs to be vacuumed and blown out every day. Or in the summer, if the model is without air conditioning, it can overheat and stop firing.
There was also a funny story with accessories. Our gunners on the Panzerhaubitze 2000 had to shout at each other for a long time during firing because these self-propelled guns came to Ukraine from Italy and German helmets with comms devices didn’t work with them. We had to look for used Italian helmets.
Panzerhaubitze 2000
Photo from open sources
“If we’re talking about the best artillery system, then a complex set of various factors must be taken into account. I think it’s the British M777. This is the very first artillery system that Ukraine received from partners. It is very reliable, easy to repair, and there are many of them.
We have received complaints that the M777 had many hydraulic hoses that broke from small drone strikes and this stopped the gun from working. I had to take it to be serviced after each attack. But we installed mobile stations with trimming and fitting machines, and 99% of the breakdowns started to be repaired on site.
Howitzer M777
Photo from open sources
What’s more vital now: self-propelled guns like Archer or towed ones like M777?
Towed artillery shows itself best because it is in a dug-in position. Nowadays it is safer to dig in, disguise yourself, and wait for your target.
And if you are constantly driving, then immediately you become noticeable – you have a hot engine, you kick up dust and make noise. Rolling out is the most dangerous part of a gunner’s work. And it is much more difficult to hide a self-propelled installation based on a truck or tank due to its dimensions. In addition, they are more expensive.”
16 Russian Lancet drones struck a plywood model
Frontline roles vary in danger. How risky is a gunner’s job today?
If you follow all the safety advice and don’t break the rules, a gunner’s survival odds hit 90%, oddly enough.
Take summer – 40°C heat tempts fighters to ditch bulletproof vests while loading shells. But during a drone strike, helmets and vests could save them from shrapnel.”
They say artillerymen often end up with serious back problems.
Yes, that’s true, and it’s partly because of how our artillery is being restructured. Many of the guys who used to work on Western systems with support cranes are now being moved to Bohdanas, where shells have to be lifted by hand. To prepare your body for that kind of strain, you’d ideally spend six months in the gym and use sports supplements.
What’s the biggest threat to artillerymen and how are our soldiers dealing with it?
There are plenty of threats and it’s not just about Russian Lancet kamikaze drones. There’s enemy artillery, guided bombs, even Iskander missiles hitting our positions. The Russians have the stockpiles and are willing to use them against our artillery units. Presumably out of fear.
As for protection, we’re using everything from detection devices to fishing nets. I’ve got a video showing several Russian drones caught in nets stretched over an artillery position.
Plywood decoys help too. We recently had a double success: a Russian drone came in to destroy a decoy, but ended up tangled in the nets. At the moment, we’re producing plywood mock-ups of M777s for around 17,000 to 25,000 hryvnias [approximately US$407 to US$598] each. We’ve deployed over a hundred so far. From a distance, only the barrel sticks out, so it’s impossible to tell it’s not the real thing.
After each drone strike on a decoy, a technician shows up with a screwdriver and some duct tape to fix it up and not long after, the Russians strike it again.
One of our decoys has even been nicknamed Tolik, after the benefactor who paid for it. Tolik’s a bit of a legend. So far, we’ve found debris from 16 Lancet drones around it. We count them by the wings scattered after the explosions.
Decoy Tolik
What does the Ukrainian artillery need most right now – guns, spare barrels or shells?
The top shortage is definitely shells. Artillery systems and spare parts come next. As for spare barrels and their quality, we’re mostly fine. Barrels are being made for us in Germany, France and the UK. Ukraine itself also produces a decent line of high-quality barrels.
Is our old Soviet-era artillery still in use?
The Giatsint-B howitzer has been, and still is, incredibly effective. It’s a system from the late 1960s and early 1970s, but one of its key advantages is the massive chamber for the propellant charge. It allows you to take a large amount of shells and fire at distances beyond 30 kilometres. It’s also fairly accurate, so it plays a significant role in counter-battery operations. We’ve still got the barrels and shells for it.
A Giatsint-B during Navy training
Photo: open sources
The Pion systems are also very much in action – I was shocked myself. They’re great for taking out fortified positions. Sure, they’re not the most accurate, but their 110-kilogram shells can demolish anything that needs demolishing. It’s no secret that 203mm shells for them are being supplied from the US. That said, these systems are near the end of their service life. The shells are rare, and the platform itself is huge and heavy. Producing barrels for them is a real challenge because of their size. But for now, the remaining service life is still holding up.”
The Pion self-propelled gun played a major role in the Battle for Kyiv. Residents saw these vehicles moving through the city and striking Russian columns on the outskirts.
A Pion self-propelled gun
Photo: open sources
What about our Vilkha system?
It’s operational and in use. The Russians posted very telling photos of Vilkha rocket engine parts near the town of Sudzha about a year ago. But in terms of accuracy, it’s nowhere near the level of a Ukrainian HIMARS, as some people like to imagine.
Volunteers always seem to know where small investments can bring big results. Leaving aside things like shell production and other capital-heavy projects, what could people invest in to boost our artillery’s effectiveness?
The first thing is decoys. Every Lancet drone that hits a decoy is one that didn’t strike a real artillery position or kill our people.
The second thing is repairs. Artillery constantly needs fixing. There’s not a single brigade where 100% of the equipment is fully operational.
For that, we supply something called a mobile maintenance station. Basically, it’s a lorry with a shipping container on the back. Inside the container, there’s a tyre-changing unit for any wheel size, equipment for field repairs and all the tools you’d need – plasma cutters, welding equipment or nitrogen tanks. These stations can serve a unit for years and keep the entire fleet running.
Workshop by charity organisation Reactive Post
You could also invest in equipping mobile headquarters. These are the same kind of containers, but adapted for officers. Laptops, projectors, wall-mounted screens, large-format printers for maps. Yes, many still use paper maps because they’re easy to carry.
The towed version of the Bohdana is apparently much more popular than the lorry-mounted version
Will our Bohdana self-propelled howitzer become the main artillery system in the defence forces?
Based on open-source data about current monthly production and total numbers so far, it’s not the main system yet. But with the current pace of production, it’s entirely possible that within two years it could become the primary artillery platform, especially since both self-propelled and towed versions are now being made.
What does the Bohdana do well in combat?
Despite the criticism from sceptics, it’s actually quite accurate, thanks to its high-quality, long barrel, even compared to some Western systems. It’s not as precise as the gold standard, the Panzerhaubitze 2000, but considering its cost – around €2.5 million – it delivers excellent performance.
It also offers solid protection for a wheeled self-propelled gun. There’s a good chance the crew would survive even if an artillery shell landed nearby.
A Bohdana self-propelled howitzer on a Tatra vehicle
And the Bohdana is constantly being improved. It’s important to remember that Ukraine never had its own artillery production, even during Soviet times. So naturally, any new system is going to face teething problems at the beginning. The key thing is that artillery crews have a reliable feedback loop with the manufacturer.”
What problems still remain?
The automatic loader and the ammunition rammer. In automatic mode, the Bohdana is actually slower than when operated manually, so artillery crews often choose to load it by hand. This will eventually be optimised and improved.
Without a rammer and an automatic loader, it’s physically tough on the crew, as they have to carry all the 47-kilogram shells by hand. Soldiers end up with serious back injuries and tendon damage. We have even started supplying weightlifting belts to the line of contact to help with that.
What can you say about the towed version of the Bohdana and how does it compare to the M777 we mentioned earlier?
Personally, I actually prefer the towed version of Bohdana to the self-propelled version. In terms of comparison: the Bohdana has an eight-metre barrel, while the M777’s is six metres. That means the Bohdana’s barrel is more accurate and has a longer range, but it’s also harder to conceal and heavier. You need to dig a deeper firing position and use a more powerful towing vehicle to move it.”
The towed version of Bohdana-B
How good are the barrels made in Ukraine?
They last for up to 8,000 rounds, depending on the type of shell. Ours hold up to that just fine. They might not be quite as precise as the German ones, but it’s more than enough, considering how fast we can produce them and the volume we’re delivering to the line of contact.
Somehow, Russian tube artillery is still firing
We published a piece on Oboronka, a Mezha Media project, about the state of Russian artillery. It turns out the occupiers are heavily relying on stockpiles from Soviet times, often cannibalising barrels from old systems. How would you assess the current state of their artillery?
Somehow, their tube artillery is still functioning. But they’ve got serious issues with barrels. Just recently, European partners finally imposed sanctions on chromium, which is the key material used in barrel production. Russia used to get a lot of it from Kazakhstan, but even they have now stopped supplying it.
Another factor is machinery. Ukraine manufactures barrels using its own equipment, but Russia lacks this kind of domestic production. They’re now scouring the global market, trying to get machines through all sorts of back channels. The machines they already have are wearing out fast.
Technically, China could sell Russia barrels, since their calibres are compatible, but that’s a political issue. North Korea has started supplying some artillery, though so far it’s only been 180mm Koksan self-propelled artillery, which are of extremely poor quality.
North Korean Koksan self-propelled artillery spotted in Russia
I wouldn’t try to give a precise prediction for the future of Russian artillery as it would be pure guesswork. But I do believe they’re running out of usable barrels and soon they’ll start to stagnate.
Barrel lifespan is a rather flexible concept. You can fire 15,000 rounds from a howitzer if you want, but by then the rifling inside the barrel will be gone and accuracy will be non-existent.
But when it comes to Russian rocket artillery – Grad, Smerch, Uragan – it is still dangerous. They use it very actively. If you look at the General Staff’s daily updates, you’ll often see 50 to 150 multiple-lanch rocket system strikes a day. Each of those involves at least a dozen rockets, covering wide areas and causing heavy casualties among our troops.”
Would it be fair to say our tubed artillery fleet is in better shape than Russia’s?
I believe so. Even just looking at the average age of the systems: we’re working mostly with hardware from the 2000s, while theirs dates back to the 1980s.
Who’s winning artillery duels these days?
I’d say we are, because our counter-battery operations rely on high-precision weapons, like American HIMARS. It’s also about good intelligence, especially satellite-based. On top of that, we’ve got lots of other tools, like various types of surveillance cameras, acoustic sensors and American counter-battery radars.
Often it’s enough to detect a muzzle flash, then you can roughly locate the enemy’s firing position, gather more intelligence and strike it with precision-guided weapons.
In contrast, the backbone of Russian counter-battery efforts is the Lancet drone. But a Lancet hit doesn’t necessarily mean the artillery system is destroyed. Many howitzers are repaired and eventually return to the battlefield.
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The volunteer initiative Reactive Post has launched a fundraiser to produce more decoy artillery models, tools that help save the lives of Ukrainian gunners. To ensure that more decoys like Tolik are deployed and to keep Russian Lancet drones hitting plywood instead of real positions, they need funding for materials. You can support them via the link provided.
Author: Bohdan Miroshnychenko
Translation: Theodore Holmes and Tetiana Buchkovska
Editing: Susan McDonald
