Russia showed off its military prowess by showcasing the might of its Soviet 2S7M Malka self-propelled artillery as it discharged projectiles into the sky over Ukraine.
The Russian military documented the tremendous firepower that is capable of physically incapacitate an unprepared soldier or crew member near it from concussive force.
The video was obtained by Zenger News Friday from the Ministry of Defense (MoD) of the Russian Federation.
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“Combat work of crews of self-propelled artillery mounts of high power 2S7M ‘Malka’,” the media said in Russia, according to Google Translate.
“‘Malka’ has a 203 mm caliber gun and is designed to solve special tasks – suppression and elimination of especially protected command posts, artillery, mortars, armored vehicles, rear areas, enemy manpower.
“The rate of fire of the gun is up to 2.5 rounds per minute, the range is about 50 kilometers.
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“Modern Orlan-10 unmanned aerial vehicles are used for timely target detection, data transmission and fire adjustment.”
It remains unclear what targets the projectiles struck or where in Ukraine the footage was filmed.
The 2S7M Malka entered service in 1983. The Malka and its 2S7 Pion are operated by a handful of countries, including both Russia and Ukraine.
Russia’s offensive has been growing especially in the Donbas region, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accusing Russia of carrying out a “genocide” in the region.
The city of Sievierodonetsk is currently suffering an onslaught of Russian shelling. Zelensky said Thursday night that lives are lost in Ukraine every moment the West delays putting more pressure on Russia. The Ukrainian president also urged the West to urgently supply with weapons to deal with Russian troops in Donbas.
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US officials said the Biden administration is considering supplying Ukraine with the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported earlier Friday that from February 24 to May 27, Russia had lost about 29,750 troops in addition to 1,322 tanks, 3,246 armored fighting vehicles, 623 artillery systems, 201 multiple launch rocket systems, 93 air defense systems, 206 warplanes, 170 helicopters, 503 unmanned aerial vehicles, 115 cruise missiles, 13 warships, 2,226 military vehicles and fuel tankers, and 48 units of special equipment.
While the Russian MoD reported earlier Friday that during this same time, Ukraine had lost 179 warplanes, 127 helicopters, 1,019 unmanned aerial vehicles, 323 air defense systems, 3,266 tanks and armored fighting vehicles, 433 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,682 artillery systems, and 3,190 military vehicles.
