Russia's latest artillery setback: Losing the 2S43 Malva in combat
Published on the X platform, the photos suggest that in the Kursk region, the Russians have lost their latest artillery system – the 2S43 Malva howitzer. If the Russian loss is confirmed, it would be the first loss of this type of howitzer by the Russian army.
2S43 Malva is the latest combat-used Russian barrel artillery system with a 152 mm calibre. Its prototype was presented in 2020, and in 2024, in the Belgorod region, their combat use was recorded for the first time. The Malvas participated, among other actions, in shelling Ukrainian positions in the Kursk region.
The photos of the destroyed howitzer are reportedly from this region. They show – as Defence 24 analyzes – a destroyed vehicle resembling the Russian 2S43 Malva howitzer. It is burned, but the structure was not shattered, which – according to Defence 24 – indicates an attack by an FPV drone. The open doors of the vehicle also suggest that at least part of the crew managed to evacuate.
Reports about the destruction of the Malva have not yet been confirmed and are based on several difficult-to-verify photographs. However, if the Russian weapon was indeed destroyed, it is likely the first combat loss for this system.
The primacy of Western artillery
The 2S43 Malva is a Russian self-propelled howitzer mounted on a wheeled chassis. This configuration results in a system weight lower than that of artillery on tracked chassis, which facilitates air transport. The Malva weighs about 35 tonnes (about 77,000 pounds), whereas the tracked 2S19 Msta-S howitzer weighs 46 tonnes (about 101,000 pounds) and the 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV weighs 61 tonnes (about 134,500 pounds). Competitive systems are lighter – for example, the Ukrainian 2S22 Bohdana howitzer weighs about 31 tonnes (about 68,000 pounds), and the French CAESAR weighs just 20 tonnes (about 44,000 pounds).
Although the 2S43 Malva is Russia's newest artillery system, it falls short of its western counterparts in terms of range. It is capable of firing at distances up to 35 kilometres (about 22 miles), while the western standard is currently about 40 kilometres (about 25 miles). This is partly due to the Russians using a proportionally shorter barrel with a length of 47 calibres, while the standard in modern artillery has become a length of 52 calibres.
Years ago, Poland was also working on a weapon with similar characteristics, which resulted in the prototype of the Kryl howitzer. However, the Kryl development program was abandoned, and the Ministry of National Defence, according to declarations from early 2025, does not plan to introduce a system with similar characteristics into service in the next decade.
