Ukraine bolsters defenses with British AS‑90 artillery advantage
The Ukrainian portal, The New Voice of Ukraine, reported on reinforcements brought to the area around Pokrovsk. The 117th Mechanized Brigade is using British AS-90 artillery systems in this region, which are proving to be very effective in the ongoing conflict with Russia.
As part of support from the United Kingdom, Ukraine has received several dozen AS-90 self-propelled howitzers. They have been integrated into service, including in the 117th Mechanized Brigade, which returned to the area around Pokrovsk at the end of January after operations on the southern front near Zaporizhzhia.
Ukrainians assess the AS-90
When asked about the capabilities of the AS-90 and comparisons to Soviet-era artillery, Ukrainian soldiers give a short answer - British AS-90 artillery systems are superior to the Soviet-era competition in every way.
Similar to other modern NATO artillery systems, the AS-90 uses a 155mm calibre gun, which has a greater range than the 152mm artillery commonly used by the Russians (although the 39-calibre barrel length means some other NATO solutions offer even greater reach). Additionally, the experience of Ukrainians shows that the AS-90 provides high accuracy.
"Comparing it to Soviet-era weapons is like comparing a Zhiguli (a version of the LADA brand car) to a Mercedes E-Class! The difference is not only visible but colossal. It's really hard to explain why. It's simply better in every aspect. Above all, it provides a completely different targeting system. Much better mobility. It also has a good level of armour. And very high accuracy," evaluated a Ukrainian commander with the call sign Azhur.
The AS-90 is an artillery system adopted by the British Army in 1992. It was developed to replace the M109 and FV433 Abbot self-propelled howitzers. The AS-90 measures about 3.4 metres in width and almost 10 metres in length, with the gun mounted on a tracked chassis and the entire structure powered by an engine allowing speeds of up to about 60 km/h. The turret and hull of the AS-90 self-propelled howitzer are made of welded armour plates measuring up to about 17mm thick.
Russians are increasingly pressing forward
On 29 January, the Ukrainian analytical project DeepState reported that Russian forces managed to capture Velyka Novosilka in the Donetsk region. The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that potential directions for additional Russian troops include Kupiansk and Borova in the Kharkiv region, as well as Chasiv Yar, Toretsk, and Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.
