Close-up of Russian missiles destroying 32 Ukrainian 152mm heavy artillery pieces

Close-up of Russian missiles destroying 32 Ukrainian 152mm heavy artillery pieces

Friday, April 12, 2024 19:00 PM (GMT+7)

Video from a UAV shows Russian missiles striking a gathering point of 32 Ukrainian D-20 152 mm howitzers in Sumy province.

The legendary Soviet D-20 152mm howitzer is being used in large numbers by the Ukrainian army in artillery battles with Russian troops in the Eastern European conflict. According to RT, Reuters.

Russian media on April 10 released a video from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), recording the process of monitoring and launching missiles at targets in Sumy province, northern Ukraine. In the video, the Russian UAV discovered 32 D-20 152 mm howitzers gathered at a military facility in the city of Akhtyrka. According to RT, Reuters.

The guns were neatly lined up outside a warehouse, with several trucks nearby. It was unclear whether the guns were being assembled for transfer to combat units, or were damaged and being sent back for repair or decommissioning. The Russian missile landed in the middle of the assembly point and wiped out most of the howitzers, with only a few remaining intact but most likely heavily damaged. The warehouse was also damaged in the attack, but the extent is unknown. According to RT, Reuters.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine and Russia both inherited a large number of these 152mm howitzers. According to RT, Reuters.

The D-20 was one of the most successful Soviet howitzer models during the Cold War. According to RT, Reuters.

It was developed in the late 1940s and first entered service in 1955. According to RT, Reuters.

The D-20 towed howitzer is very familiar, appearing in many conflicts around the world , from the 1960s until now. According to RT, Reuters.

The plan to develop the D-20 howitzer was carried out by the Soviet Army after World War II, when the country's 122mm artillery models were considered outdated and no longer effective. According to RT, Reuters.

To shorten the development process, the D-20 inherited the gun frame design of the 122mm D-74 howitzer, one of the towed artillery models developed by the Soviet Union in parallel with the D-20. According to RT, Reuters.

The D-20 has two fixed legs with two main tires and two auxiliary wheels at the end of the gun legs allowing the gunner to move the gun legs more easily, along with a protective shield for the gunner. According to RT, Reuters.

The D-20 is equipped with a set of two hydraulic recoil-reducing tubes located right at the end of the gun barrel, and its barrel can also be lowered or raised from -5° to 45°. According to RT, Reuters.

The D-20 can fire a variety of Soviet-developed 152mm shells, from fragmentation, high-explosive or armor-piercing shells. According to RT, Reuters.

This artillery model is also equipped with laser-guided artillery shells to increase shooting accuracy, its maximum range can reach 24km. According to RT, Reuters.

The D-20's gunnery crew of 8-10 soldiers is accompanied by a specialized artillery tractor, usually a Ural-375 6×6 special truck or some other motor vehicle. According to RT, Reuters.

The time to transition from marching to fighting is just 3 minutes. According to RT, Reuters.

The D-20 is currently in service with 27 countries around the world. It is also being used by both sides in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. According to RT, Reuters.

PV (According to ANTĐ)

Source: https://danviet.vn/can-canh-ten-lua-nga-pha-huy-32-phao-hang-nang-152mm-cua-ukraine-20240412170854628.htm