For the first time a modified "Grad" 2B26 multiple rocket launcher of russian making has been spotted destroyed in Ukraine. This is also the first case this particular modification of the 122mm BM-21 "Grad" rocket system, also known as the"Grad-K", was ever seen in the Ukraine war since the start of the russian full-scale invasion, although previously observed by InformNapalm in the Donetsk region back in 2016 and by OSCE in 2020 and 2021.
The position of this rocket launcher was spotted by a UAV in the Zaporizhzhia region, southern Ukraine, then an artillery strike with an M982 Excalibur precise munition destroyed the vehicle. The vehicle was claimed by the 44th Artillery Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the photos were published by Ukrainian MP Yurii Mysiahin.
Read more: Ukrainian Artillerymen Show High-Precision 'Excalibur' Used With Ordinary M777 Without Additional Digital Units
As for the vehicle itself, the first time the modified "Grad-K" 2B26 was demonstrated in public was back in 2011, modernization was performed by the Russian OJSC "Motovilihinskie zavody". The upgraded artillery system got a new chassis: KamAZ-5350 instead of the Ural-375D.
According to the Oryx OSINT project, since the beginning of their full-scale invasion, the russians have lost at least 103 BM-21 "Grad" systems overall (36 of them captured by Ukrainians as trophies) and three "Grad-1" systems – it is a "lightweight" version mounted on the ZIL-131 chassis with 36 launching tubes instead of 40.
Also, we should notice the effectiveness proved by high-precision M982 Excalibur artillery munition in the Ukraine war. This weapon continues to effectively destroy various russian assets, in particular, it has already destroyed some rather rare samples of weaponry and military equipment of the russian invasion army.
For example, recently this 155-mm artillery shell hit a russian "Palantin" electronic warfare system. This rare EW complex was adopted by the russian military in April 2019, yet could not spot a Ukrainian "Leleka" UAV watching over it and consequently received a high-precision strike.
Read more: Russian Palantin EW Complex Didn’t See Ukraine’s UAV And Got the 155-mm Excalibur Shell (Video)
