2014 Russia-Ukraine War

2A36 Giatsint-B in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War

Both Russian and Ukrainian forces have fielded the 2A36 Giatsint-B 152 mm towed gun in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War, including Russian-side firing near Avdiivka and Ukrainian use that includes Finnish-designation 152 K 89 examples.

Weapon profile2A36 Giatsint-B
SideRussiaUkraineRoleFire SupportLong-Range Strike
2A36 Giatsint-B, 152 mm towed field gun, Artillery - 2014 Russia-Ukraine War
Image source: KrAZ-6322 and 2A36 Giatsint-B, Kyiv 2021

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
Russian or pro-Russian forces used or fielded 2A36 Giatsint-B guns in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War

Sources: Newsweek Hyacinth-B Avdiivka, Oryx Russian Equipment Losses, Ukrinform Tavria Giatsint-B Losses

Ukrainian forces used or fielded 2A36 Giatsint-B guns in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War

Sources: Oryx Ukrainian Equipment Losses, Defense Express Finnish Giatsint-B

Finnish-designation 152 K 89 guns, identified as 2A36 Giatsint-Bs, appeared in Ukrainian service

Sources: Defense Express Finnish Giatsint-B, Oryx Finnish Aid To Ukraine

The system's conflict role is long-range 152 mm towed artillery fire support

Sources: National Defence University 2A36 Giatsint-B, Newsweek Hyacinth-B Avdiivka

Timeline

2A36 Giatsint-B In 2014 Russia-Ukraine War

  1. Oryx opens full-scale invasion loss trackers

    Oryx's Russia and Ukraine equipment-loss trackers, published from the first day of the full-scale invasion and updated as imagery appeared, list 152 mm 2A36 Giatsint-B field guns among documented losses for both sides.

    Sources: Oryx Russian Equipment Losses, Oryx Ukrainian Equipment Losses

  2. Pro-Russian firing near Avdiivka reported

    Newsweek reported video of pro-Russian troops loading and firing a Hyacinth-B towed field gun near Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast.

    Sources: Newsweek Hyacinth-B Avdiivka

  3. Finnish-designation gun reported in Ukrainian service

    Defense Express reported that video showed a 2A36 Giatsint-B in Ukrainian Armed Forces hands, probably a Finnish 152K89; Oryx's Finnish aid tracker lists 152 K89s as 2A36 Giatsint-Bs in the towed-artillery aid record.

    Sources: Defense Express Finnish Giatsint-B, Oryx Finnish Aid To Ukraine

  4. Tavria-sector Russian losses include Giatsint-B guns

    Ukrinform, citing General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, reported that Ukrainian defenders destroyed two Russian 2A36 Giatsint-B guns among 36 enemy equipment losses in the Tavria direction.

    Sources: Ukrinform Tavria Giatsint-B Losses

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

The 2A36 Giatsint-B is documented on both sides of the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War. Newsweek reported on June 2, 2022 that pro-Russian troops loaded and fired a Hyacinth-B towed field gun near Avdiivka, while Oryx's photo- and video-backed loss lists record 152 mm 2A36 Giatsint-B field guns among both Russian and Ukrainian towed-artillery losses during the full-scale invasion.

Ukrainian use also includes the Finnish service designation 152 K 89. Defense Express reported on April 13, 2023 that video showed a 2A36 Giatsint-B in Ukrainian Armed Forces hands and identified it as probably a Finnish 152K89. Oryx's Finnish aid tracker separately lists 152 mm 152 K89s, identified there as 2A36 Giatsint-Bs, under towed artillery delivered or documented for Ukraine.

Sources: Newsweek Hyacinth-B Avdiivka, Oryx Russian Equipment Losses, Oryx Ukrainian Equipment Losses, Defense Express Finnish Giatsint-B, Oryx Finnish Aid To Ukraine

Timeline

Public documentation becomes clearest after Russia's February 24, 2022 full-scale invasion. Oryx opened its Russia and Ukraine equipment-loss trackers on that date and later listed 2A36 Giatsint-B field guns in the towed-artillery sections for both sides.

The first specific firing episode in the sources used here is Newsweek's June 2, 2022 Avdiivka report. The Finnish 152 K 89 line appears publicly in April 2023, when Defense Express reported likely Finnish-designation Giatsint-B guns in Ukrainian service and Oryx listed 152 K89s in its Finland-to-Ukraine aid tracker.

Sources: Oryx Russian Equipment Losses, Oryx Ukrainian Equipment Losses, Newsweek Hyacinth-B Avdiivka, Defense Express Finnish Giatsint-B, Oryx Finnish Aid To Ukraine

Battlefield role

In this conflict the Giatsint-B appears as long-range towed tube artillery rather than as a new foreign-supplied system. The National Defence University of Ukraine describes the 2A36 as a 152 mm towed gun with a listed firing range up to 40 km, a crew of eight, and a design role that includes suppressing and destroying manpower, firepower, military equipment, and strongpoints.

That role is reflected in the conflict-use reporting. The Avdiivka episode describes pro-Russian Hyacinth-B guns firing against Ukrainian positions near a contested city, while Ukrainian and Russian Oryx loss entries show the gun remained present in the artillery inventories of both armies. The Oryx lists are not total inventories; they count only equipment for which the project found photo or video evidence, so they are best used here as source-backed documentation of fielding and losses.

Sources: National Defence University 2A36 Giatsint-B, Newsweek Hyacinth-B Avdiivka, Oryx Russian Equipment Losses, Oryx Ukrainian Equipment Losses

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Sources