New video footage shows the tremendous firepower of Russian 2S7 Pion artillery pieces as troops discharge them at Ukrainian military targets.
Released by the Russian Ministry of Defense, the video footage opens with the artillery pieces, which are daubed with white ‘Z’ symbols, being loaded with shells as they sit in a field.
The footage ends with the artillery pieces being discharged, reportedly at Ukrainian military positions, which are not shown in the video.
The footage was obtained from the Ministry of Defense (MoD) of the Russian Federation on Sunday, June 5.
The Russian MoD said (in English): “Footage of 203mm Pion self-propelled artillery units in action.
“Artillerymen destroyed equipped firing positions and observation posts of the Ukrainian Armed Forces deployed in a wooded area. The artillery was guided by UAVs.
“After the firing, the battery moved to reserve positions to eliminate the possibility of enemy retaliation.
“203-mm Pion fired high-explosive fragmentation shells at a range of up to 30 kilometers.”
The 2S7 Pion is a Soviet self-propelled heavy artillery that entered service in 1976 and was last produced in 1990.
It is operated by a handful of militaries, including the Ukrainian military, in addition to the Russian one.
We contacted Russian and Ukrainian officials for comment but had not received a reply at the time of writing.
In a briefing earlier on Monday, June 6, the Russian MoD said (in English): “In total, 190 Ukrainian aircraft and 129 helicopters, 1,127 unmanned aerial vehicles, 330 anti-aircraft missile systems, 3,424 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 473 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,795 field artillery and mortars, as well as 3,446 units of special military vehicles were destroyed during the operation.”
In its own update, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Russia had lost about 31,250 personnel, 1,386 tanks, 3,400 armored fighting vehicles, 690 artillery pieces, 207 multiple launch rocket systems, 96 anti-aircraft systems, 211 warplanes, 176 helicopters, 551 tactical unmanned aerial vehicles, 125 cruise missiles, 13 warships, 2,395 other vehicles and fuel tankers, and 53 pieces of special equipment over the same period.
In related news, the United Kingdom has announced that it is sending its long-range missiles to Ukraine for the first time.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned more attacks in Ukraine can be expected if the West sends long-range weapons to Kyiv.
Russian missiles struck Kyiv on June 5 in the first assault on the Ukrainian capital in weeks.
Ukraine is claiming that it has retaken half of the key eastern city of Sievierodonetsk, where much of the fighting has been focused recently.
And the Ukrainian Armed Forces said on June 6 that Russian forces are continuing their push toward the city of Sloviansk.
June 6 marks the 103rd day of the invasion.
