Ukrainian forces get artillery boost with British AS‑90 systems
The Ukrainian portal The New Voice of Ukraine reported on reinforcements brought to the vicinity of Pokrovsk. The 117th Mechanized Brigade is using British AS-90 artillery systems in this area, which have proven to be very effective in the ongoing conflict with Russia.
As part of support from the United Kingdom, Ukraine received several dozen AS-90 self-propelled howitzers. These have been incorporated into service, including in the 117th Mechanized Brigade, which returned to the vicinity of Pokrovsk in the last days of January after operations conducted on the southern front near Zaporizhzhia.
Ukrainians evaluate AS-90
When asked about the capabilities of the AS-90 and to compare this equipment with post-Soviet artillery, Ukrainian soldiers responded briefly: British AS-90 artillery systems are superior to their Soviet counterparts in every respect.
Like other modern NATO artillery, the AS-90 uses a 155 mm caliber gun, which has a greater range than the 152 mm caliber artillery popular among the Russians. (Although the barrel length of 39 calibers means that some other NATO solutions offer even greater reach.) Additionally, Ukrainian experience indicates that the AS-90 provides high accuracy.
“Comparing Soviet weapons to the AS-90 is like comparing a Zhiguli (a version of the LADA car brand) to a Mercedes E-Class! The difference is not just noticeable, it is colossal. It's really hard to explain why here. It's just better in every way. Above all, it offers a completely different guidance system. Much better mobility. There's also a good level of armor. And very high accuracy,” assessed a Ukrainian commander with the call sign Azhur.
The AS-90 is an artillery system adopted by the British army in 1992. It was developed to replace the M109 and FV433 Abbot howitzers. The AS-90 measures about 11 feet wide and almost 33 feet long. The gun is mounted on a tracked chassis, and the entire structure is powered by an engine that allows speeds up to about 37 mph. The turret and hull of the AS-90 howitzer are made from welded steel armor plates that are up to 0.67 inches thick.
Russians become increasingly pressing
On January 29, the Ukrainian analytical project DeepState reported that Russian forces managed to capture Velyka Novosilka in the Donetsk region. The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that potential directions where additional Russian soldiers might appear include Kupiansk and Borova in the Kharkiv region and Chasiv Yar, Toretsk, and Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.
