ukrainian forces strike back: russian howitzers targeted
In recent weeks, numerous recordings have surfaced showing Russian Vandal drones targeting Ukrainian artillery positioned behind the front lines. The Ukrainians are responding with attacks on the valuable Russian 2A36 Hyacinth-B howitzers. We explore why these howitzers are significant and describe the attacks.
The widespread availability of inexpensive FPV drones that operate using fiber optics—much like many anti-tank guided missiles—has nearly reverted the Ukrainian battlefield to the state it was when these devices were introduced at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023.
It turns out that jammers are ineffective against fiber-optic-controlled drones, and the only defensive measures are reactive armor, specialized armor, or screens that prematurely detonate the drone's warhead, or shooting it down before impact. One form of protection is deploying nets around targets, but this is not a reliable method.
There will always be an exposed fragment, as seen in the recording below, where drone pilots from the RUBpAK "Feniks" unit of the "Revenge" brigade of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine neutralized three Russian 2A36 Hyacinth-B howitzers by damaging their barrels.
2A36 Hyacinth-B howitzers - one of the few Soviet systems capable of competing with NATO artillery
Introduced into service in the USSR in the late 1970s, the towed 2A36 Hyacinth-B howitzers are Russian 152 mm systems with the longest barrel length of 49 calibers (almost 25 feet). This translates into a range of about 17-19 miles with standard ammunition, or up to 25 miles with rounds that have a rocket booster. This capability allows for artillery duels, for instance, with the Polish Crab or the German PzH 2000.
In comparison, more common systems with shorter barrels, like the D-20 or 2S3 Akatsiya, have ranges of 11 miles or 15 miles with much rarer rocket-assisted shells.
The Russians developed the 2A36 Hyacinth-B howitzers and the self-propelled variant 2S5 Hyacinth-S as counter-battery weapons intended to combat conventional NATO artillery of 155 mm caliber, which are based on guns with a length of 39 calibers.
Hyacinths replaced M-46 130 mm guns and even today pose a formidable challenge for Ukrainian artillerymen. According to Russian sources, the Hyacinth has a rate of fire of up to 6 rounds per minute. It is important to note that due to insufficient barrel production in Russia, every loss of a good specimen is significant for them.
