By Dan Peleschuk
DONETSK REGION, Ukraine (Reuters) – Rumbling out of its forest hideout, the hulking German-supplied howitzer has only some minutes to fireplace earlier than slipping again beneath cowl to evade Russian surveillance within the skies above.
Throughout the hills and valleys of the east, Ukrainian artillery models play a cat-and-mouse sport with Russian drones looking high-value artillery weapons akin to this self-propelled Panzerhaubitze 2000.
Moscow’s troops have stepped up floor assaults alongside the 1,000-km (621-mile) entrance within the south and east of Ukraine, threatening among the industrialised Donetsk area’s final large cities held by Kyiv greater than two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Counterbattery efforts are essential to suppressing enemy fireplace that rains on Ukrainian traces and artillery models, and paves the way in which for Russian advances.
Crews together with the one Reuters lately visited, a part of the forty third Artillery Brigade, say they face rising harassment from enemy drones which have grow to be a staple of Russia’s arsenal.
“There have been (assaults) earlier than, however not the identical quantity,” stated battery commander “Lyova”, 27, utilizing his name signal. “Now it is actually scary.”
Lyova, who’s from western Ukraine, stated his unit had been immediately hit 4 occasions by Russian high-tech Lancet assault drones. Crew members remained largely unhurt because of the Panzerhaubitze’s armour.
Russian reconnaissance drones such because the Orlan or the extra superior Supercam are a specific nuisance, stated senior battery officer Andriy Stavnychyi.
“Typically it occurs that there is a number of work for the day, however we won’t transfer as a result of one thing is at all times flying above,” Stavnychyi, 31, informed Reuters throughout a go to to the unit’s underground command put up.
Enemy surveillance drones typically pose a higher threat to Ukrainian artillery models than Russian counterbattery radar, in accordance with Rob Lee, a senior fellow on the International Coverage Analysis Institute (FPRI).
The Panzerhaubitze rotates amongst a number of hiding spots across the unit’s place, which the Ukrainian army requested not be disclosed. They’re nestled deep in tree cowl and have hand-built picket frames that shroud the automobile.
PRIME TARGETS
Stavnychyi echoed different Ukrainian troops and senior officers who’ve referred to as for extra digital warfare techniques to jam Russian drones.
Western-supplied artillery such because the Panzerhaubitze is a precedence goal for Moscow, which has pledged to focus its strikes on such weapons.
Battery commander Lyova stated Russian forces have at occasions piled strain on their unit, together with by means of the laser-guided Krasnopol artillery system that ultimately struck one of many hideouts. It was not critically broken.
“Earlier than that, they fired round 50 (normal) shells all through a day and a half, however could not hit it,” he stated.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu stated final month Moscow would intensify strikes on Ukrainian storage bases that home Western-supplied weapons.
Lee, the FPRI skilled, stated weakened Ukrainian counterbattery capabilities meant Russian forces “will be extra aggressive about how they make use of artillery.”
“They will transfer it nearer, they do not must essentially change positions that usually,” he stated.
Like different Ukrainian artillery models, the forty third Brigade battery faces a crucial shell scarcity that limits the Panzerhaubitze’s potential.
Ukrainian troops throughout the sprawling entrance are anxiously awaiting shipments from a long-delayed $61-billion U.S. army help package deal.
The Panzerhaubitze gunners stated they lacked the proprietary 155mm shells designed to maximise its effectivity and vary of round 40 km.
Longer-range ammunition would enable them to focus on analogous Russian self-propelled weapons far behind the entrance line, and preserve them additional again to guard from Russian counterbattery fireplace.
Though well-supplied throughout a failed Ukrainian counteroffensive final 12 months, Lyova’s unit now fires far fewer shells per day – solely between eight and 15, he estimated.
Repairing the automobile can be a problem, with availability of spare components restricted and a navigation system that ceaselessly malfunctions however is troublesome to repair on the battlefield.
Stavnychyi, the senior officer, stated some components might be swapped among the many Italian and Dutch artillery items additionally beneath his command.
“However even when there have been components and shells, you’d have the issue of enemy ‘birds’,” he stated, referring to drones.
“So all the pieces must work collectively in a system: digital warfare and surveillance, (and) artillery. Then our hit share can be a lot larger.”
(Modifying by Mike Collett-White and Timothy Heritage)
