Reports shared on social networks suggest that the russian invasion army has created a unique hybrid of an artillery system, with the chassis from the M-46 towed howitzer, and the gun from the naval AK-130 installation. A video published by Vodohrai online magazine allegedly shows one such hybrid system open fire at Ukrainian positions.
For firing this unconventional gun, the russians used fixed projectiles (probably the F-44 high-explosive shell), while for the M-46, separate-loading 130mm ammunition is a standard, which was another reason (apart from a russian soldier's words) that pointed to the possible use of a barrel stripped from AK-130 in this hybrid artillery piece.
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Russians have revealed the use of a hybrid of the M-46 gun and, as stated, the 130-mm AK-130 shipboard artillery system. pic.twitter.com/xQ094zrJpz— Resurrected in death (@jvekseel) July 31, 2024
At first glance, this is just another sign of the artillery crisis in the russian army caused by losses in battles against Ukraine. Especially since it's not the only example where russians try to MacGyver various weapons onto a towed gun carriage, like the recently surfaced 2A28 autocannons from BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles mounted on howitzer frames in a way resembling improvised solutions of Bashar al-Assad's forces in Syria.
However, despite the russian claims of using such a hybrid, the provided visual evidence cannot be viewed as a reliable confirmation. After all, the gun barrel in this video is not even close to the standard AK-130, commonly used by the russian Navy, or even its land-based self-propelled version, the A-222 Bereg.
What we see in the footage appears to be an ordinary M-46 with its characteristic muzzle brake. Here's a reference showing Ukrainian artillerymen operating an M-46.
Still, undeniable is the fact russians showed a naval fixed 130mm artillery round used for loading the gun. Featured in the video is most likely an F-44, two troops carry and feed it into a typical howitzer barrel, and this detail in no way contradicts the aforementioned.
The thing is, as of February 2022, the caliber of 130 millimeters wasn't common for the russian ground forces but it was for the navy. The AK-130 was often part of the arsenal on many ships, including the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, the Moskva missile cruiser of Project 1164 Atlant, sunk by Ukrainian Defense Forces in April 2022. The gun could also be found on Project 956 destroyers — almost all of them have been decommissioned and scrapped by now.
In this context, the russian military could still have a useful stockpile of 130mm ammunition left over from discarded naval guns waiting to be used against the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Especially since the deficit has already forced russia to ask for 130mm shells from North Korea.
As for reports about the use of barrels from the AK-130, this topic requires careful approach and credible evidence. On the other hand, the very possibility of manufacturing such hybrids should not be ruled out.
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