2014 Russia-Ukraine War

120-PM-38 in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War

The 120-PM-38 appeared in Donbas monitoring records on both sides of the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War, with OSCE reports documenting PM-38 mortars at or missing from heavy-weapons holding and storage sites.

Weapon profile120-PM-38
SideRussiaUkraineRoleFire Support
120-PM-38, 120 mm towed heavy mortar, Artillery - 2014 Russia-Ukraine War
Image source: File:120 mm PM38 02.JPG

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
PM-38 mortars were directly observed at a DPR-controlled heavy-weapons holding area in December 2015.

Sources: OSCE SMM Daily Report 6 December 2015

PM-38 mortars appeared in OSCE records for government-controlled heavy-weapons holding or storage sites in 2017 and 2019.

Sources: OSCE SMM Daily Report 10 March 2017, OSCE SMM Daily Report 16 October 2017, OSCE SMM Daily Report 19 March 2019, OSCE SMM Daily Report 4 June 2019

Open inventory reporting listed the M-1938 (PM-38) in Ukrainian army mortar holdings before the 2022 full-scale invasion.

Sources: Analysis: Discover list new artillery weapons of Ukrainian army after delivery of foreign equipment

The weapon's documented theater role is legacy 120 mm heavy mortar fire support, not a newly supplied precision system.

Sources: 120-mm PM-38 mortar, OSCE SMM Daily Report 6 December 2015, OSCE SMM Daily Report 16 October 2017

Documented Monitoring Entries

DateArea or sideDocumented detail
6 December 2015"DPR"-controlled areasNine PM-38 120 mm mortars observed at a heavy-weapons holding area; nine other PM-38 mortars previously recorded there were missing.
10 March 2017Government-controlled areasFive PM-38 120 mm mortars listed among missing weapons beyond withdrawal lines.
16 October 2017Both sides of the contact lineSix PM-38 mortars absent in government-controlled areas and eleven PM-38 mortars absent in areas outside government control.
19 March 2019Government-controlled Donetsk regionTwelve PM-120/PM-38 120 mm mortars remained missing at a heavy-weapons holding area.

Timeline

120-PM-38 In 2014 Russia-Ukraine War

  1. OSCE observes PM-38 mortars at a DPR-controlled holding area

    The OSCE SMM reported nine PM-38 120 mm mortars at a "DPR" heavy-weapons holding area, with nine other previously recorded PM-38 mortars missing.

    Sources: OSCE SMM Daily Report 6 December 2015

  2. Government-controlled PM-38 mortars listed as missing

    The OSCE SMM listed five PM-38 120 mm mortars among weapons missing in government-controlled areas beyond withdrawal lines.

    Sources: OSCE SMM Daily Report 10 March 2017

  3. OSCE records absent PM-38 mortars on both sides

    The OSCE SMM reported six PM-38 mortars absent in government-controlled holding areas and eleven PM-38 mortars absent in areas outside government control.

    Sources: OSCE SMM Daily Report 16 October 2017

  4. PM-120/PM-38 mortars remain missing in Donetsk region

    The OSCE SMM reported twelve PM-120/PM-38 120 mm mortars remained missing at a government-controlled heavy-weapons holding area in Donetsk region.

    Sources: OSCE SMM Daily Report 19 March 2019

  5. Inventory reporting lists Ukrainian PM-38 mortars

    Army Recognition, citing The Military Balance 2021, listed 30 M-1938 (PM-38) 120 mm mortars among Ukrainian army artillery holdings before the full-scale invasion.

    Sources: Analysis: Discover list new artillery weapons of Ukrainian army after delivery of foreign equipment

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

The clearest public evidence for 120-PM-38 use in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War comes from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission reports during the Donbas phase of the conflict. On 6 December 2015, the SMM reported that it observed nine PM-38 120 mm mortars at a heavy-weapons holding area in "DPR"-controlled territory, while nine other PM-38 mortars previously recorded there were missing.

OSCE reports later continued to list PM-38 mortars in the withdrawal-monitoring record. In March 2017, the SMM noted five PM-38 120 mm mortars among weapons missing in government-controlled areas beyond the withdrawal lines. In October 2017, it recorded six PM-38 mortars absent from government-controlled holding areas and eleven PM-38 mortars absent from areas outside government control. In March and June 2019, the SMM again listed PM-120/PM-38 or PM-38 mortars missing from Ukrainian government-controlled holding or storage sites.

Sources: OSCE SMM Daily Report 6 December 2015, OSCE SMM Daily Report 10 March 2017, OSCE SMM Daily Report 16 October 2017, OSCE SMM Daily Report 19 March 2019, OSCE SMM Daily Report 4 June 2019

Timeline

The published record is strongest for the 2015-2019 Donbas monitoring period, when the OSCE reported PM-38 mortars in heavy-weapons holding and storage contexts on both sides of the contact line. The reports do not identify a specific PM-38 firing incident, but they do document the mortar as a controlled or previously recorded heavy weapon in the conflict zone.

After the 2022 full-scale invasion began, open inventory reporting still listed the M-1938 (PM-38) in Ukrainian artillery holdings. Army Recognition, citing The Military Balance 2021, reported 30 M-1938 (PM-38) 120 mm mortars in the Ukrainian army's pre-invasion mortar inventory.

Sources: OSCE SMM Daily Report 6 December 2015, OSCE SMM Daily Report 16 October 2017, Analysis: Discover list new artillery weapons of Ukrainian army after delivery of foreign equipment

Narrative

The PM-38 was a legacy Soviet 120 mm smoothbore mortar in a war dominated by large stocks of Soviet-pattern artillery and mortars. National Defence University of Ukraine identifies the PM-38 as a 120 mm mortar with a 5,700 m listed firing range, a six-person crew, and 120 mm ammunition, which places it in the heavy mortar fire-support role rather than in the small-arms or light infantry category.

In the Donbas monitoring record, the weapon appeared under the Minsk withdrawal framework rather than as a newly delivered system. OSCE reports connected PM-38 mortars to both "DPR"-controlled holding areas and Ukrainian government-controlled holding or storage sites, while the broader conflict-side catalog maps Russian-backed formations to the Russia side and Ukrainian government forces to the Ukraine side. The record therefore supports a bilateral conflict-use entry for legacy 120 mm mortar fire support, with the important boundary that the cited reports prove fielding and withdrawal-monitoring status rather than a named firing event.

Sources: 120-mm PM-38 mortar, OSCE SMM Daily Report 6 December 2015, OSCE SMM Daily Report 16 October 2017, CFR Global Conflict Tracker

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Sources