US transfers shells for Soviet-made self-propelled Pion cannons to Ukraine

The Ukrainian military received US-made shells for Soviet 2S7 Pion self-propelled guns.

Photo: мультимедиа.минобороны.рф by Евгений Кель, CC BY 4.0

Kyiv had used up its stocks of Soviet shells for Pion cannons in 2022, and the system had not been used much since then. 203-millimeter 100-kilo shells are suitable for use with Pion guns. It is believed that Ukraine received the required shells from the US.

During World War II, the United States produced the 203-millimeter M115 howitzer before the M110 system was developed in the 1950s. It was actively used during the Vietnam War. The system was decommissioned from the US Army during the 1990s. This fact suggests that there were 203-millimeter shells left in the arsenals, and the United States could thus help Ukraine with the supply of ammunition.

Soviet 2S7 Pion cannons have already been spotted in the Dzerzhinsk (Toretsk) direction of hostilities, the Politika Strany publication said with reference to Germany's Bild correspondent who visited the front line.

The 2S7 Pion self-propelled cannon is designed to suppress the rear, eliminate especially important objects and nuclear attack weapons at a distance of up to 47 kilometers. The 2S7M Malka is a modernized version of the system.

The Russian army still uses Pion cannons in the special military operation zone, but one can not say the same about the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Back in January 2023, it was reported that the AFU used WWII-era shells due to a shortage of 203-millimeter shells for the self-propelled 2S7 Pion.

Details

The 2S7 Pion ("peony") or 2S7M Malka is a Soviet self-propelled 203 mm cannon. "2S7" is its GRAU designation. More than 250 units were built; some sources say 500, others up to 1,000. They were distributed around the former Soviet states during the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. It used a new-design chassis, partly based on T-72 and T-80 design, carrying an externally mounted 2A44 203 mm gun on the hull rear. The vehicle is self-entrenching and has an overpressure CBRN defense system. It was reported that the 12 m (39 ft) gun weighs 14.6 t (14.4 long tons; 16.1 short tons) and has a service life of 450 rounds