Month of Loss: Ukraine Strikes Take Heavy Toll on Russian MSTA-S Artillery

4 June, 2024 Russian MSTA-S SPG in the camera of Ukrainian FPV drones of the Muramasa unit. Footage from the unit's video The Russian military has lost a significant number of MSTA-S 152mm self-propelled howitzers over the past month.

Videos and photos released by both the Ukrainian military and the invaders show at least nine Russian army units destroyed in May and April 2024. It is worth noting that this number includes only the artillery systems that were caught on video or in photos available in the public domain. The main weapon responsible for these losses were strike FPV drones, which carry powerful explosive charges.

In May, the first such destroyed MSTA-S was an SPG deployed by the Russians near Avdiivka. It was discovered by Ukrainian Secret Services operators and the Muramasa unit, who targeted the MSTA-S using a drone.

Russian MSTA-S SPG in the camera of Ukrainian FPV drones of the Muramasa unit. Footage from the unit's video

In total, the unit had at least 4 confirmed destroyed MSTA-S in a month.

Part of the self-propelled guns were destroyed by Ukrainian artillery during counter-battery fire over the past month. In particular, the 45th Separate Artillery Brigade demonstrated the defeat of an MSTA-S in the Luhansk region.