As Russian troops attempt to break through Ukrainian lines in the Donbass region and surround forces protecting the city of Severodonetsk, they use a variety of rare and specialized weapons, adding BMP-T “Terminator” anti-personnel tanks and KUB-BLA kamikaze drones.
Recently, Russian army journalist Aleksandr ‘Sasha’ Kots said that Russia also uses its 240-millimeter 2S4 “Tyulpan” (“Tulip”) self-propelled mortars, designed to penetrate and destroy heavy fortifications and tall buildings.
This weapon, which has no equivalent in Western service, is by far the highest caliber mortar formula in service. Of the cargoes deployed during the Cold War, Russia retained only 40 to 50 in domestic service, or 10 to 12 in high-power service. artillery brigade at district level.
Giant mortars launch giant F864 projectiles 288 pounds closer and air-dropped bombs at a distance of 6 miles at an impressive maximum speed of one shot per minute. It can also fire the Smel’chak (“Daredevil”)-guided projectiles, 3B11 nuclear projectiles and 3O8 “Nerpa” rocket-assisted delivery projectiles with a maximum diversity of 12 miles that can deliver a hail of cluster bombs.
These blunt weapons, both towed and self-propelled, were used to destroy the terminals of Donetsk and Luhansk airports defended by Ukrainian troops in 2014-2015, and terrorized civilians in Syria, Lebanon and Chechnya with penetrating shelling that could destroy apartments. Buildings
In early May 2022, a 2S4 was photographed firing at Ukrainian forces locked up at the Azovstal metal plant in Mariupol with a Smelchak guided projectile.
The video from Kots to Rubizhne (finally secured through Russian forces on May 12 after a two-month siege) showed from various angles a 2S4 shot next to a giant commercial facility. The barking of the blow is followed through the characteristic bell of this mortar.
At that time, Russian movements destroyed several bridges over the Donets River to Severodonetsk to isolate it from reinforcements. This specific 2S4 would have destroyed the bridge connecting Lyschansk with Severodonetsk. If this is true, it was probably completed with a laser-guided ammunition. .
However, within 24 hours of kot’s online publication of the report, the Ukrainian military released a video filmed through a drone near the construction from which Kots had filmed. It shows a 2S4 fed through the flames. Suddenly, his ammunition (up to 40 large cartridges) explodes into a gigantic fireball.
Although we do not know for sure, it is quite conceivable that Ukrainian forces geolocated the approximate position of 2S4 using photographs from the television segment.
The focus of the attack is also unclear, due to the relatively short diversity of the 2S4, there are many probabilities ranging from howitzers to persistent munitions, drones armed with missiles or even civilian-type octocopters adapted across Ukraine to launch anti-tank grenades with unexpected precision. Most likely, the drone that filmed the aftermath of the attack helped locate the Tyulpan and consulted the attack that destroyed it.
This is the first 2S4 shown lost in Russia in the conflict, Moscow helps keep up to 400 inactive systems stored, some of which can eventually be restored to update losses.
While this is a welcome victory for Ukraine, the incident highlights the dangers that many media photographs of the confrontation could betray the unit’s position, allowing for fatal attacks.
More broadly, the scenario in Severodontesk has entered a serious phase for Ukraine, as Russia seeks to exploit a possible penetration of Ukrainian defenses emanating from Popasna to the west. This would possibly allow Russia to form an embrace along with an urgent southward push towards Lyman. that can also leave Severodonetsk’s veteran Ukrainian brigades surrounded.
Most likely, next week will determine whether Ukraine can defend itself against Russian momentum in this sector. Otherwise, Kyiv would possibly have to decide between allowing the forces of the Severodonetsk salient to be surrounded or executing a potentially costly retreat from defensive positions that were stubbornly held for months.