Russian reliance on outdated artillery poses risks on the Ukrainian front

Large Russian losses related to artillery systems are bringing older types of such constructions to the fore. Although some of these systems provide considerable help to the units fighting in Ukraine, several problems associated with them could adversely affect the Russian army, industry, and relations with Kremlin allies in the long term.

For many months, there has been evidence that the Russians are resorting to increasingly older equipment. Examples include trains heading towards Ukraine with tanks like the T-54 from 1946 and towed guns such as the D-20 calibre 152 millimetres or the M-46 calibre 130 millimetres, both of which date back to the 1950s.

As noted in a comprehensive analysis conducted by Forbes, the M-46 example shows that old weapons can still be helpful to the Russians. When it launched into service, it was the most powerful gun in the USSR, eventually replaced by self-propelled 2S5 Giatsint guns.

The M-46 mainly provides high firepower and a long range. Depending on the shells used, its range is about 24 or 37 kilometres. The M-46 also has an acceptable rate of fire of five rounds per minute. For these reasons, it works well as a "counter-battery" weapon (e.g., destroying other howitzers). In 2009, the CIA, assessing the artillery reserves of North and South Korea, called the M-46 "the most effective counter-battery weapon in Korea."

However, it is easy to see the drawbacks. The M-46 is a heavy and difficult-to-transport towed howitzer, requiring a large labour force to operate (up to eight soldiers). These systems, such as drones, are also relatively easy targets for opponents with aerial surveys. Once detected, it is almost impossible to quickly move to another location, as it is with newer self-propelled systems that can quickly switch from firing mode to moving mode. Additionally, some of these newer systems protect the crews in armoured cabins.

Analysts estimate that the Russians have already pulled over half of the M-46s stored in their warehouses for years. Like it or not, the Kremlin increasingly depends on its allies. This dependency concerns not only the supply of weapons (an unspecified number of D-20 howitzers have reached the front from North Korea) but primarily ammunition. Russian factories no longer produce certain shells, which can only be obtained from Iran and North Korea.

There have been frequent reports of very poor-quality North Korean ammunition. Even the Russians complain heavily about it, claiming that it has a much shorter range than it should and some shells are defective. They often miss the designated targets (are inaccurate), and sometimes accidents occur, injuring Russian soldiers.