2014 Russia-Ukraine War

2A14 23 mm cannon in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War

Ukrainian units used ZU-23-2 mounts built around twin 2A14 autocannons for short-range air defense, force protection, and direct fire during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.

Weapon profile2A14 23 mm cannon
SideUkraineRoleAir DefenseFire SupportForce Protection
2A14 23 mm cannon, 23 mm gas-operated autocannon, Air Defense - 2014 Russia-Ukraine War
Image source: Commons 2A14 Ordnance Image

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
The ZU-23 mount uses twin 2A14 guns, connecting ZU-23-2 field reports to the 2A14 cannon entry.

Sources: Army Guide ZU-23, Army Guide 2A14 Gun

Ukrainian National Guard units used ZU-23-2 guns for short-range air defense against Russian helicopters and drones in northern Kharkiv oblast.

Sources: Defense Express National Guard Air Defense

A Ukrainian National Guard Red Kalina brigade ZU-23-2 crew covered facilities, infantry, and equipment and fired on air and ground targets.

Sources: MVS Red Kalina Air-Defense Profile

Ukrainian border guards used a ZU-23-2 in a Luhansk-region direct-fire incident against Russian infantry.

Sources: ArmyInform Pomsta Brigade Luhansk

Timeline

2A14 23 mm cannon In 2014 Russia-Ukraine War

  1. National Guard ZU-23-2 teams reported in Kharkiv oblast

    Defense Express reported National Guard use of ZU-23-2 guns with MANPADS against Russian helicopters and drones in northern Kharkiv oblast.

    Sources: Defense Express National Guard Air Defense

  2. MVS profile describes Red Kalina ZU-23-2 combat missions

    Ukraine's Ministry of Internal Affairs described a Red Kalina brigade anti-aircraft gunner whose ZU-23-2 crew covered facilities, infantry, and equipment in several Ukrainian regions.

    Sources: MVS Red Kalina Air-Defense Profile

  3. Pomsta brigade ZU-23-2 direct fire reported in Luhansk region

    ArmyInform reported that Ukrainian border guards from the Pomsta brigade used a ZU-23-2 against Russian infantry in Luhansk region after aerial reconnaissance identified the movement.

    Sources: ArmyInform Pomsta Brigade Luhansk

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

The 2A14's documented use in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War is tied to ZU-23-2 twin-gun mounts. Army Guide identifies the ZU-23 as a system consisting of two 2A14 guns, while Ukrainian official and defense reporting documents ZU-23-2 use by Ukrainian National Guard and border-guard units in the war.

In November 2022, Defense Express reported that National Guard air-defense teams in northern Kharkiv oblast combined MANPADS with ZU-23-2 guns against Russian helicopters and drones. In July 2023, Ukraine's Ministry of Internal Affairs profiled a Red Kalina brigade ZU-23-2 crew that covered military facilities, infantry, and equipment in Vinnytsia, Kyiv, Luhansk, and Donetsk regions.

Sources: Army Guide ZU-23, Defense Express National Guard Air Defense, MVS Red Kalina Air-Defense Profile

Timeline

The public record shows recurring Ukrainian use after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, rather than a single isolated appearance. Defense Express placed National Guard ZU-23-2 use in northern Kharkiv oblast in November 2022. The Ministry of Internal Affairs profile published in July 2023 described the same weapon family on combat missions across several Ukrainian regions. ArmyInform later reported a February 2024 Luhansk-region incident in which the Pomsta border-guard brigade used a ZU-23-2 against Russian infantry after aerial reconnaissance passed target coordinates.

Sources: Defense Express National Guard Air Defense, MVS Red Kalina Air-Defense Profile, ArmyInform Pomsta Brigade Luhansk

Operational role

Ukrainian sources describe the ZU-23-2, and therefore its twin 2A14 cannon installation, as a flexible short-range weapon. Against air targets, National Guard teams used it alongside MANPADS when helicopters used infrared countermeasures or when small drones did not justify missile expenditure. The MVS profile also described a trailer-mounted ZU-23-2 crew using the weapon to cover troops and equipment and to fire on air targets, infantry, light armored vehicles, positions, and shelters.

The same sources separate air-defense and direct-fire roles. Defense Express emphasizes helicopter and drone defense around Kharkiv oblast, while ArmyInform describes a ground-fire incident in Luhansk region involving border guards, grenade launchers, mortars, and aerial reconnaissance. Taken together, the public evidence supports Ukrainian employment for short-range air defense, force protection, and direct fire, but does not establish a complete inventory or every unit using the system.

Sources: Defense Express National Guard Air Defense, MVS Red Kalina Air-Defense Profile, ArmyInform Pomsta Brigade Luhansk

Related Weapons by Role

ZU-23-2, Towed twin 23 mm anti-aircraft autocannon, Air DefenseAir DefenseZU-23-2Towed twin 23 mm anti-aircraft autocannonThe ZU-23-2 is a Soviet twin 23 mm towed anti-aircraft autocannon built around two 2A14 guns on a light carriage. Its manual sighting, rapid emplacement, and high volume of fire make it a close-range air-defense weapon against low-flying aircraft, helicopters, and drones, while many operators also use it for direct fire against light vehicles and infantry positions. Ukrainian forces have used ZU-23-2 guns in mobile and positional air-defense teams during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War, Armenian-side losses in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh fighting included towed and vehicle-mounted ZU-23 guns, and conflict monitors documented ZU-23 or ZU-23-2-pattern use in Yemen, Tigray, and northern Mali.
MT-LB with ZU-23 anti-aircraft gun, Improvised tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, Air DefenseAir DefenseMT-LB with ZU-23 anti-aircraft gunImprovised tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gunThe MT-LB with ZU-23 anti-aircraft gun is an improvised tracked fire-support and short-range air-defense vehicle that combines the Soviet MT-LB multipurpose armored tractor with a twin 23 mm ZU-23 gun mount. Public records show the configuration in Iraqi, Russian, Ukrainian, Syrian, and Armenian or Artsakh service contexts, with documented examples ranging from an Iraqi wreck in Baghdad to vehicles destroyed, damaged, or captured in later wars.
T-55-ZU-23, Improvised self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, Air DefenseAir DefenseT-55-ZU-23Improvised self-propelled anti-aircraft gunThe T-55-ZU-23 is an improvised Ukrainian short-range air-defense vehicle that combines a T-55-series tank chassis with a ZU-23-family twin 23 mm anti-aircraft gun installation. Public sourcing is narrow but specific: OSCE monitors observed the same T-55/ZU-23 configuration in the Donetsk security zone in January 2017, and MilitaryLand identifies T-55-ZU-23 in the equipment inventory of Ukraine's 54th Mechanized Brigade. The record is best read as a field or depot conversion that trades the T-55's original tank role for mobile high-volume 23 mm fire against low-altitude threats and exposed ground targets.
PKP Pecheneg, 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsPKP Pecheneg7.62 mm general-purpose machine gunThe PKP Pecheneg is a Russian 7.62x54mmR belt-fed general-purpose machine gun developed from the PKM to solve sustained-fire problems with a heavier, jacket-cooled barrel, forced-air cooling, a mirage-shielding carry handle, and a forward bipod. Russian sources place production at Kovrov in 1999 and service acceptance in 2001, with later documented use by Russian forces, Syrian special forces, Russian-backed separatists, and Ukrainian troops, plus naval mounting on Russian patrol and assault craft.
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Sources