Ukrainian artillery units continue to expose the scale of russia's equipment shortages as the war drags on. During counter-battery operations in Donetsk region, gunners from the 55th Separate Artillery Brigade recently destroyed a rare sight on the modern battlefield, Soviet-era ML-20 howitzer, a weapon that predates even World War II.
The ML-20, officially designated the 152 mm gun-howitzer model 1937, was produced in the Soviet Union before the outbreak of the Second World War. Despite its historical value, this relic has now reappeared in combat as russian forces struggle to maintain their artillery strength amid mounting losses.
Read more: Ukrainian Shchelepy Drones Knock Out Key Radar of russia's S-400 System (Video)
The appearance of such ancient weaponry underscores a growing problem for Moscow: its modern artillery reserves are being depleted, forcing the russian army to dig into long-abandoned stockpiles of outdated systems. Many of these guns have sat in storage for decades, often exposed to corrosion, lack of spare parts, and outdated ammunition stocks.
While the ML-20 system was once considered one of the best artillery systems of its era, it is woefully obsolete by today's standards. It lacks digital fire-control systems, precision sights, and the mobility of contemporary self-propelled guns. Its deployment on the modern battlefield speaks volumes about the state of russia's logistics and the desperation to maintain firepower at any cost.
For Ukrainian forces, such encounters reveal not only the changing face of the war but also the increasing effectiveness of counter-battery warfare. Units like the 55th Brigade are combining drone reconnaissance, radar detection, and rapid fire correction to hunt down russian artillery before it can inflict damage.
Each destroyed gun further reduces russia's ability to sustain its traditional artillery-based tactics. With modern systems like the Msta-B and Giatsint already lost in large numbers, Moscow's fallback on the ML-20 system suggests that its stockpiles of usable equipment are running thin.
As Defense Express previously reported, Poland has drawn an unexpected conclusion about one of its exported air defense systems now serving in Ukraine. According to Polish defense journalist Mariusz Marszałkowski, the modernized S-125 Newa-SC surface-to-air missile system in Ukrainian service has successfully shot down russian ballistic missiles, something never officially claimed for the system.
The assessment emerged after Ukraine's East Air Command and the Kharkiv 302nd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade published a photo of the Newa-SC system with kill markings. Among numerous silhouettes of destroyed cruise missiles were eight distinct symbols resembling ballistic missile targets. Mariusz Marszałkowski identified not only the Polish camouflage pattern but also the SNR-125M radar tracking cabin mounted on the MAZ-543 chassis, confirming the system's origin as Polish-upgraded S-125 system.
Read more: Old Soviet Design, Polish Upgrade: Ukraine's S-125 Newa-SC System May Be Defeating Ballistic Threats
