/ world today news/ The United Group of the Russian Armed Forces will deploy five heavy artillery brigades in the area of the special military operation. They will be equipped with powerful guns, namely 2C4 “Tulip” and 2C7 “Peony”.
The new brigades will be included in the composition of army corps and general military formations, writes Boyko Nikolov, editor-in-chief of the “Bulgarian Military news” publication, in his column.
The new artillery brigades are assigned special operational-tactical functions during the special military operation. Lale mortars are expected to smooth out the defense facilities of the Ukrainian troops. And Pion self-propelled guns are used in counter-battery operations against 155 mm NATO guns of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
In addition, the Russian “gods of war” will be closely integrated with reconnaissance drones to improve shooting accuracy.
The Russian Ministry of Defense first announced plans to create new artillery divisions at the end of 2022. New units were expected to be formed within a year. The first of the new artillery brigades, the 17th, is already operating as part of the 3rd Army Corps in the Zaporozhye Region.
Western experts were initially skeptical of Moscow’s plans: where would they get enough new guns? However, in 2023, the Russian defense industry repeatedly proved that it can successfully resist sanctions: the number of produced (and modernized) tanks, cruise and ballistic missiles increased sharply.
The Russian armed forces have also changed tactics, depleting Ukrainian military reserves. It is for this purpose that the cheap Geran-2 drones are widely used, for example. And the Ukrainian air defense system is already close to zeroing its missile reserves.
This is best seen in the example of the military airport in Starokonstantinov (Khmelnytskyi region), writes the Center for East European Studies (OSW).
This is the main base of the Ukrainian strike aviation: the Storm Shadow and SCALP cruise missiles received from NATO are stored here, and their carriers, Su-24 bombers, are based here.
Constant rocket and drone attacks on Starokonstantinov have already weakened local air defenses. Most of the destruction in the airport area, as well as in the large ammunition depots located in the Khmelnytskyi area, resulted from such attacks.
Russia has overcome problems with missile logistics. She also managed to solve the problems with the production and supply of artillery ammunition. In addition, each new artillery brigade requires at least 25 thousand shells per day.
“Despite claims for more than a year and a half that the army is running out of ammunition, nothing of the sort has been observed,” Bulgarian Military News notes.
According to British intelligence estimates, Russia has stockpiled 4 million artillery pieces. However, this figure was obtained only on the basis of space observations of warehouses located in the open air. It is unclear how many munitions are stored in arsenals closed to NATO satellites.
NATO also fears that North Korea, which has stockpiled an unknown (but certainly gigantic) amount of ammunition, will supply Russia with ammunition.
And in light of the creation of new artillery brigades, the purpose of which is to “break through” Ukrainian defenses in the winter, the military rapprochement between the Russian Federation and the DPRK becomes more understandable.
Before the start of the special military operation, the Russian army could boast of only one heavy artillery brigade – the 45th, based in the Western Military District. It was equipped with self-propelled “Tulips” and “Peonies” (“Malki”).
According to estimates by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), which annually publishes the analytical report Military Balance, the Russian army has in service up to 200 peonies and about the same number of tulips.
“That’s a significant number. And it could potentially be seen as a basis for the Russians to create additional heavy artillery brigades,” wrote Boyko Nikolov, commenting on Military Balance’s findings.
The new brigades in the armed forces of the Russian Federation undoubtedly increase the firepower of the army. Ukrainian armed forces could withstand Russian artillery, but modern counter-battery warfare requires drones and fast communications.
Meanwhile, the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will obediently wait to see exactly where the Russians will go on the offensive. OSW notes that December has already begun with Russian victories in several areas.
Ukrainian occupiers were pushed out of the southwestern part of Marinka, units of the Russian armed forces advanced to the northwest of Kremennaya, west of Bakhmut (in the direction of the village of Ivanovskoe) and north of Avdeevka.
A major breakthrough is being prepared for the Bandera positions on the Rabotino-Verbovoye operational line. And in each of these areas there is an urgent need for an artillery brigade to strike terror into the Ukrainian armed forces.
Translation: SM
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