HUR and Special Ops Eliminate Russian Self-Propelled Gun with Precision FPV Drone Strikes

The Special Operations Forces (SSO) reported via Telegram the destruction of a Russian 152mm Msta-S self-propelled artillery mount using FPV drones, along with a video of the strike.

During surveillance, soldiers from the 73rd Center of Special Ops identified a Russian 2S19 Msta-S artillery system moving into position.

“The decision to destroy it was made immediately,” the report read, “and, in collaboration with a unit from the HUR (Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense), FPV drones inflicted fire damage on the target.”

As a result of the strike, the SSO reported that the Russian artillery system “burned to the ground.”

Kyiv Post could not independently verify the location or timing of the published video. The footage first showcased the movement of the self-propelled artillery, likely the Msta-S, though the video quality makes it difficult to confirm definitively. The moment of impact is visible, followed by a fire engulfing the vehicle.

For a while, the artillery mount continued moving down the road while engulfed in flames, but eventually came to a stop, surrounded by thick black smoke.

The Msta-S is a 152mm self-propelled artillery system originally developed by the Soviet Union and later by Russia, designed to destroy enemy personnel, equipment, and fortifications. The 2S19 model is mounted on a modified T-72 tank chassis and incorporates components from the T-80. While it retains the tank’s hull armor, its turret is only protected against small arms fire.

Other Topics of Interest

ISW Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, November, 4, 2024

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

The Msta-S can carry up to 50 rounds, including high-explosive fragmentation shells, Krasnopol laser-guided munitions, and radio communication jamming projectiles. The 2A64 cannon has a firing range of 24 km with standard shells, extendable to 29 km with rocket-assisted projectiles.

In July, Ukrainian aerial reconnaissance officers from the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade used a drone to blow up another Russian 152mm Msta-S self-propelled artillery unit, causing its ammunition to detonate. The video, released on the Telegram channel of Eskadron, a manufacturer and supplier of FPV kamikaze drones, showed the strike.