Ukraine's 2S22 Bogdana: Pride Turned Target in the War's Latest Twist
Ukrainian 2S22 Bogdana, which is presented as the business card of the local arms industry, has long remained out of reach for Russians. The situation suddenly changed, and it took only a week for the invaders to destroy as many as three pieces of this weapon. What exactly is 2S22 Bogdana, and what are its capabilities?
The 2S22 Bogdana is a symbol of the ongoing war. The howitzer was developed in 2016 and presented two years later. Ukrainians had long relied on a single prototype model, which, due to Russian aggression, had to be used in the operation to liberate Snake Island. The 2S22 Bogdana performed well enough that a decision was made to start mass production, which has already resulted in several variants, each bringing significant improvements.
2S22 Bogdana in the service of the Ukrainian army
The Ukrainian military industry supplies the army with several units of the 2S22 Bogdana monthly. Designers here opted for a cannon using 6-inch calibre projectiles, the same ammunition used by NATO countries in their equipment of this type.
The 2S22 Bogdana's maximum range is about 35 km with standard ammunition and even 60 km with rocket-assisted projectiles. The rate of fire reaches six projectiles per minute. Earlier variants of the 2S22 Bogdana were based on a 6x6 chassis, but newer variants benefit from the chassis of Czech Tatra trucks in an 8x8 drivetrain setup. In addition, they possess improvements such as a mechanism aiding in loading ammunition into the cannon and an armoured cabin.
How do Russians hunt Ukrainian howitzers?
Only in February of this year did information emerge about the first hit by Russians on a 2S22 Bogdana howitzer, which was damaged by an enemy drone. The statistics no longer look so good for the Ukrainians now.
Within a week, the invaders hit as many as three units of 2S22 Bogdana. What's worse, the recordings and photos published on social media suggest that these cases involve damages and total losses.
Lancet kamikaze drones, which have previously proven effective against Polish Krabs, are also destroying the 2S22 Bogdana howitzers.
These unmanned aerial vehicles can carry several kilograms (a few pounds) of explosive payload and reach speeds up to about 109 km/h. From the Ukrainians' standpoint, the significantly better-performing Russian aerial reconnaissance in recent months is also a problem.
