A new Russian weapon has been spotted on the battlefield

The Russian Armed Forces have been adapting to the changing reality of modern warfare since the days after Vladimir Putin's invasion thrust into Ukraine failed, and this has seen Moscow introduce new weapons to the battlefield to try and gain an edge.

Ukrainian drone operators recently spotted a new Russian weapon on the battlefield in December 2024. The weapon, an advanced artillery system, became a prime target and was quickly attacked.

Ukraine scored a victory against Russia after drone operators from the famed Flying Skull battalion of the Unmanned Systems Forces attacked a rare Russian 2S43 Malva self-propelled artillery system. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Mil.ru, CC BY 4.0

Footage of the strike was posted on Telegram by Ukrainian activist and military blogger Serhiy Sternenko, a prominent Ukrainian lawyer and fundraiser, as part of a larger video detailing the unit's operations. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @ssternenko

In the video, an attack drone can be seen slamming into the front of the  2S43 Malva from the drone's perspective. The Ukrainian military website Miltiarnyi reported drone operators caught the artillery system as it was changing positions. However, the strike didn’t disable the gun. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @ssternenko

Drone operators hit the artillery gun’s main cab, where the weapon's crew was seated while the vehicle was on the move, but the 2S43 Malva wasn't stopped and continued driving forward. A second drone struck the top of the artillery section of the weapon near its ammunition containers. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @ssternenko

Militarnyi noted that despite the two direct hits, the Russian artillery gun was not destroyed by the attack and was able to exit the portion of the road that was under attack by Ukrainian forces. The strikes were still important, though. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @ssternenko

The 2S43 Malva is a 152mm eight-wheeled self-propelled howitzer and it's a fairly rare system that was only introduced into service by Russia near the end of 2023. Militarnyi reported that the artillery gun was only first spotted in Ukraine in June 2024. 

Photo Credit: X @OSINTua

“The development of the 2S43 Malva began as part of Russia's effort to modernize its artillery capabilities. The initial concept and technical requirements for the Malva were established in 2021,” Army Recognition reported.

“The primary innovation of the Malva is its 8x8 wheeled chassis, which offers improved mobility, reduced operational costs, and lower weight compared to traditional tracked self-propelled guns​,” Army Recognition explained. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @milinfolive

However, what truly makes the 2S43 Malva an effective piece of military hardware is its powerful 152mm 2A64 rifled gun, which can fire upwards of 24.5 kilometers (15.2 miles) at a versatile elevation range that makes it useful for many scenarios. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @russianocontext

Army Recognition also noted that Russian forces only used the 2S43 Malva in combat for the first time in November 2024, when the system was brought into the Kharkiv region for use against Ukrainian forces fighting in the sector. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @Ugolok_Sitha

Precision strikes fired from the 2S43 Malva were reportedly effective enough to cut off Ukrainian supply routes in the region according to Army Recognition, showing that Mocseow can still bring new and powerful weapons to bear on Ukraine. 

The 2S43 Malva that was attacked by the Flying Skull battalion reportedly belonged to Russia’s 9th Artillery Brigade and was attacked somewhere in the Kursk region according to Militarnyi. 

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