The Ukrainian 155 mm Bohdana howitzer, produced by the PJSC Kramatorsk Heavy Duty Machine Tool Building Plant (part of NAUDI), is being actively manufactured for the Armed Forces of Ukraine in both self-propelled and towed variants. We examine the units that have already been equipped with it.
On X (formerly Twitter), OSINT researcher Jeff2146 compiled a list of visually confirmed Ukrainian-produced howitzers in use. The list includes 19 brigades and the artillery division of the Timur Special Purpose Unit of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine.
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This is a strong figure for a relatively new howitzer, and given the current production rate of about 30 units per month, it comes as no surprise. The Bohdana has not yet become a primary weapon in the Ukrainian Forces, but it is gradually moving in that direction.
Ukrainian-produced self-propelled howitzers have been spotted in ten artillery brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. All of them are self-propelled, but at least two brigades also use the towed Bohdana-BG.
Besides the artillery brigades, towed variants were only spotted in the 3rd Assault Brigade. The 10th Mountain Assault Brigade, 100th Mechanized Brigade, and 57th Motorized Brigade were seen only with self-propelled howitzers. This ratio is unsurprising, as the self-propelled howitzers have been in production since 2022, compared to the towed variants, with five batches delivered by early summer.
Among National Guard units, Bohdana serves with the 16th Separate Artillery Brigade and the 18th Sloviansk Brigade, whereas the 13th Khartiia Brigade fields the Bohdana-BG. The self-propelled variant is also used by the Khyzhak and Liut police brigades.
Currently, most of Ukraine’s domestic artillery systems are deployed in the artillery brigades of the Armed Forces. This may soon change, as current production rates will allow more units to be reinforced.
The use of a Ukrainian-made howitzers ensures quick repairs, simplified logistics, and a certain degree of autonomy. It also strengthens Ukraine's presence in the niche market for towed howitzers, which remain underrepresented globally.
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