Footage showing the transport of M109L systems has appeared online, and an Italian defense analyst who publishes on X (formerly Twitter) under the handle A-129 Mangusta (@NichoConcu) also confirms the possible transfer of an unspecified number of vehicles to the Defense Forces.
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"This is the first batch in many years, so bringing these vehicles back to working condition may not have been easy," the analyst notes. Italy has not officially announced any plans to deliver additional howitzers to Ukraine, although such declarations are not mandatory.
Italy has previously delivered a substantial number of M109L systems to Ukraine — roughly 100 units. As of October 2022, several dozen had already been shipped, while deliveries of the full batch continued throughout 2022–2023.
According to A-129 Mangusta, as of June 2023 the Defense Forces had received more than one hundred M109L howitzers from Italian stocks. This means the current pause in deliveries has lasted about two and a half years.
The main question now concerns the condition of the newly transferred vehicles. It is reasonable to assume that some have been restored, while others may be used as sources of spare parts.
According to the Oryx database, Ukraine has lost 108 M109 howitzers to date. This figure includes all variants in service — A3/A4/A5/A6/L. The Defense Forces continue to operate a significant number of these systems, all of which require maintenance and repair.
Earlier, Defense Express reported that Italy is developing a competitor to the German RCH-155 — the RH1-155/52 Hitfire — after reviving a 14-year-old shelved project.
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