Summer, war, Grad-Partyzan – how Aidar Volunteer Battalion artillerymen are fighting near Bakhmut. Photo report

"If it looks ridiculous, but it works, it's not ridiculous," soldiers say. Often it's about homemade weapons and ammunition. But in a situation where there is a need for Ukrainian industrial and Western weapon models, volunteers and engineers continue to improve the existing ones.

The Grad-Partyzan, created from a passenger off-road vehicle, is one such improvement.

It can hit targets at a distance of up to 40 kilometres and has a high degree of accuracy, even in comparison with a standard combat Grad multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS). Such a homemade modification will cost 160,000 hryvnias (about US£4,356).

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It is inconspicuous and fast. It can drive up almost to the contact line, fire, and quickly leave the position.

At the same time, Russian forces do not consider the vehicle to be such an attractive target as to use significant resources for its destruction. Many artillery units are now actively using Grad-Partyzan. In particular, the Aidar Volunteer Battalion's artillerymen are using this equipment on the Bakhmut front.

Grad-Partyzan - preparation

Soldiers prepare to load standard GRAD MLRS rockets

Soldiers screw detonators into the Grad rockets immediately before a combat mission

Fighters whose aliases are Cheerful and Artek insert a Grad rocket into the guides of a self-made Partyzan

Cheerful screws the detonators into the rockets and checks everything before leaving for a combat mission

Grad-Partyzan goes on a combat mission

A Ukrainian self-propelled gun was destroyed on the way to Chasiv Yar, Donetsk Oblast. Russian forces often attack this route using Lancet kamikaze drones

Grad-Partyzan launches fire

Everything happens very quickly at the firing position. Russian drones can spot the vehicle and transmit coordinates to conduct an attack from artillery or with Lancet kamikaze drones.

These drones are often sent to the rear of Ukrainian positions to destroy long-range artillery.

Soldiers use retractable claws to fix the equipment to increase shooting accuracy

Meanwhile, Cheerful uses an artillery compass to tie to the terrain and guide Partyzan in a given direction

The first shot is usually a practice shot. The second shot usually hits the target, although the first shot can also hit home

Artek makes the basic settings for the shot

Final adjustments and everyone retires to shelter, waiting for a command from the commander

The commander's approval is received. The command "Fire!" sounds and a remote wired control activates the rocket's jet engine. The rocket flies 15 kilometres away toward the Russian positions with a hiss.

A drone hangs over the Russian positions. It records the location where the rocket should strike and transmits the information to the commander at the base. He sends the information to the combat vehicle command through a closed channel.

The guys are waiting for information about the result and adjustments from the commander

The unit's commander, whose alias is Chychen, monitors strike accuracy thanks to video from drones

After receiving corrections from the commander, Cheerful adjusts the Partyzan more precisely to hit the target

According to its design, Partyzan had three guides for firing. But during one mission, the guide was torn from the machine while shooting. So the system fires two shots now.

A second shot is fired, and everyone quickly runs to set Partyzan to its transport position.They have to leave promptly

A minute after, we are moving from a position where a retaliatory rocket could potentially arrive

Commander Chychen is waiting at the base. When he sees that we are photographing him in shorts, he jokes that people will laugh at him. But that's part of life.

Summer, heat, and a lot of daily combat work. There is simply no time for formalities. There, you have to fight and live fast.

Chychen informed the team that they hit the target. Everyone was satisfied.

Cheerful and Chychen enjoy some friendly banter

Combat work and Partyzan deployments continue without a break as needed. A fighter with the alias Artek drinks energy drinks and jokes about it

During our conversation with Greek [the alias of another serviceman - ed], I asked, "How do you feel when you know that you have made a hit?" "You feel euphoria when you hit. But let's call a spade a spade: to put it bluntly, you're happy because you're actually killing people...

But it's not us who came here, but them! And our cause is right. And you don't need to worry too much about it."

Greek's military patch

The boys load a new batch of rockets on the Grad-Partyzan

The unit is very friendly and professional. All volunteers

Grad-Partyzan is loaded with rockets and ready for a new battle

While we wait for information about new targets, we can eat delicious borshch made by Sailor.

The fighter acquired such an alias because he actually served in the navy

In the pause between missions, Greek repairs the chassis of one of the unit's off-road vehicles

And, of course, smoke breaks. When you can sit, smoke and talk about both combat tasks and life

There is also a place for sport and a barbell. Some fighters use it from time to time. Good physical shape is vital in war

We receive information about the discovery of a new target soon after, and the commander gives the order to leave and fire. The unit gets ready and leaves in a matter of minutes. I stay with the commander and military from aerial reconnaissance at the base.

Partyzan leaves for another combat shooting

We stay behind to "keep an eye on the property" with Chychen and the air reconnaissance team, which corrects Partyzan's work and other unit's artillery calculations

Monitors receive information from drones in real time. The photo shows the entrance to Bakhmut

The drone footage of Bakhmut is disappointingly impressive. The city is completely destroyed. Areas that were once filled with people are now just a wasteland

We also saw the movement of Russian soldiers in real time.

In the middle of the photo is a figurine of a Russian soldier walking along the road. But it is ineffective to fire artillery at one or two moving targets. They fire at infantry groups, positions, or equipment

We talked with the commander for a while, and then Partyzan entered a firing position, and Chychen began to coordinate their work

A cat named Dog was lying next to us all the time.

The guys from the unit found it injured in Bakhmut and took it with them. Now the cat has two kittens

Partyzan successfully worked on Russian positions deep behind their defences

Partyzan returns from another combat mission

Part of the military went to other places of deployment. It is dangerous to live together. It is easy to spot concentrations of personnel and launch a strike on them

Sailor prepares "navy-style" pasta for dinner

We had dinner with "navy-style" pasta cooked by Sailor (it was delicious!) We thanked the guys and the commander and went home. The evening was quiet and warm. I wouldn't have even wanted to think about the war if I hadn't heard the sounds of artillery firing in the distance from time to time.

We saw girls walking from the river on the road in one of the settlements.

Girls returning home from an evening swim

A stop by the river, where the locals rested and fished under the distant cannonade

One of the fishermen showed us his catch. They were beautiful little crucian carp. Summer.

This is usually a time of rest. But the summer of 2023 is a time of war

A fighter whose alias is Chuck with the rescued cat Dog from Bakhmut in the garage next to the charges for Grad-Partyzan Author of the text and photo: Andrii Dubchak

Translated by Tetiana Buchkovska 

Edited by Susan McDonald

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