Publisher's Synopsis
Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, marked the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian War, the largest conventional war in Europe since 1945. What started off as a hybrid conflict of plausible deniability, soon spread to the Donbas, and then, on 24 February 2022, was escalated into an all-out invasion of Ukraine by Russia. What has not changed since 2014 is the dominant role that the artillery has played on the battlefield - and that in the armed services of both sides.
War in Ukraine, Volume 9: Soviet-designed Artillery Systems, is focusing on discussing Soviet-designed artillery systems in service with the Russian and Ukrainian armed forces. Both sides drew back upon a formidable artillery arsenal created by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR; colloquially 'Soviet Union') during the times of the Cold War. This was partially a result of Soviet artillery doctrine that stressed the importance of massed fire-action and pre-planned barrages as an enabler for breakthroughs and manoeuvre. Upon the collapse of 1991, this arsenal was divided: the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (VSRF) inherited the bulk of it, and thus both as of 2014 and in 2022, the Russian artillery arm significantly outnumbered its Ukrainian counterpart. Every single of - relatively meagre - successes enjoyed by the VSRF can be at least partially attributed to its ability to simply unleash more shells and high explosives at the Ukrainians than the latter can fire back. To this end, the VSRF remains heavily reliant on its large inheritance of Soviet gun artillery systems, even if losses it suffered in three years since the all-out invasion are forcing it to reach back upon ever more of old systems, often stored for decades.
Ukraine has also inherited a sizeable artillery arm from the USSR. However, much of it degraded along with other infrastructure. Ammunition production all but ceased and a number of 'accidents' at major storage depots massively decreased the remaining stocks, while eight years of on/off war in the Donbass also wore out many of systems. Still, Soviet-legacy artillery systems have played a key role in blunting the all-out invasion of 2022, and they remain in widespread service until today.
Based on first-hand information, War in Ukraine, Volume 9: Soviet-designed Artillery Systems is richly illustrated by authentic photography and documentation, and custom-drawn colour profiles and diagrams.
