Artillery

2A65 Msta-B

Also known as
  • 2A65
  • Msta-B
  • Msta B
  • 152mm 2A65 Msta-B
  • 152 mm 2A65 Msta-B
  • M1987
  • Buksiruemaya
  • Buksiruyemaya
  • Buksiruemyi
  • 152 mm howitzer 2A65

The 2A65 Msta-B is a Soviet 152 mm towed howitzer built around the artillery family shared with the 2S19 Msta-S. Its split-trail carriage, shielded crew position, 24.7 km standard-shell range, and compatibility with Msta-family 152 mm projectiles kept it in post-Soviet heavy-artillery inventories, with documented Georgian loss evidence in 2008, Russian-aligned use in Syria, and both Russian and Ukrainian use in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.

2A65 Msta-B, 152 mm towed howitzer, Artillery
Image source: File:2A65 Msta-B.JPG

Role in Conflicts

2008 Russo-Georgian War
Fire Support

Georgia fielded the 2A65 Msta-B during the 2008 Russo-Georgian War, with Oryx listing one Georgian 152 mm 2A65 Msta-B howitzer destroyed among visually confirmed Georgian towed-artillery losses.

2014 Russia-Ukraine War
Fire Support

Both sides have fielded 2A65 Msta-B howitzers in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War: Ukrainian crews are documented firing Msta-B guns near Zaporizhzhia and Bakhmut in 2023, while Russian Msta-B losses and a 2025 Lyman-sector strike show continued Russian use.

Role details
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Soviet Union
Type
152 mm towed howitzer
Service note
Cold War design; in service from 1987 through the 2008 Russo-Georgian War, Syrian Civil War, and 2014 Russia-Ukraine War
Designer
OKB-221 / Titan Central Design Bureau
Designed
1976-1986
Produced
1987-present
Number built
More than 1,200 reported by WeaponSystems.net

Specifications

Caliber
152 mm
Crew
8
Combat weight
About 6,800-7,000 kg
Barrel length
7.2 m L/47 tube; 8.13 m including muzzle brake
Maximum range
24.7 km with standard ammunition; about 28.5-29 km with base-bleed ammunition
Rate of fire
Up to 7-8 rounds per minute
Carriage
Two-wheel split-trail towed carriage with gun shield
Sights
PG-1M indirect-fire sight and OP4M-97K direct-fire sight
Elevation and traverse
-3.5 degrees to +70 degrees elevation; 28 degrees traverse
Typical tow vehicles
KrAZ-260 or Ural-4320 6x6 trucks; later references also note KamAZ-6530 use
Towed speed
About 60-80 km/h on roads and 20 km/h off road
Carriage And Fire-Control Details

The 2A65's public specification set shows why the gun is a heavy towed system rather than a crew-portable field piece. WeaponSystems.net describes a two-wheel split-trail carriage, gun shield, PG-1M and OP4M-97K sights, and truck towing at road and off-road speeds.

Crew protection

The gun shield gives the crew partial protection while the weapon remains exposed compared with the armored 2S19 Msta-S.

Aiming equipment

WeaponSystems.net lists PG-1M and OP4M-97K sights, matching the page's distinction between indirect and direct-fire use.

Mobility limit

At about seven tonnes, the Msta-B depends on trucks for tactical movement and is not practical to move over distance by crew effort alone.

Sources: 152mm 2A65 Msta-B.

Variants

Published references treat the base 2A65 as the Soviet/Russian 152 mm towed member of the Msta artillery family, with 155 mm export-oriented versions described but not known to have entered broad export service.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
M-390155 mm export version

Wikipedia describes the M-390 as a 155 mm export version of the 2A65 developed by Factory No. 9 in Yekaterinburg.

Sources: 152 mm howitzer 2A65 Msta-B

MZ-146-1155 mm export version with fume extractor

Wikipedia describes the MZ-146-1 as another 155 mm export version, publicly shown in 2008 and fitted with a fume extractor unlike the original 152 mm gun.

Sources: 152 mm howitzer 2A65 Msta-B

Ammunition Fired

Public ammunition references list standard HE-fragmentation, base-bleed, cargo, electronic-warfare, and laser-guided 152 mm projectiles in the 2A65 Msta-B ammunition set.

AmmunitionAmmunition typeFiring evidence
OF-45 High-Explosive Fragmentation Projectile, 152 mm high-explosive fragmentation projectile, MunitionsOF-45 High-Explosive Fragmentation Projectile152 mm HE-fragmentation projectile

The 2A65 Msta-B reference identifies OF45 as the standard high-explosive projectile and lists its 43.56 kg mass, 823 m/s muzzle velocity, and 24.7 km range.

Sources: 152 mm howitzer 2A65 Msta-B

OF61 base-bleed projectile, 152 mm base-bleed artillery projectile, MunitionsOF61 base-bleed projectile152 mm base-bleed projectile

Army Guide lists the OF61 base-bleed projectile among the rounds the 2A65 Msta-B can fire and gives it an about 29 km range.

Sources: Army Guide 2A65 MSTA-B

OF23 cargo projectile, 152 mm cargo cluster artillery projectile, MunitionsOF23 cargo projectile152 mm cargo projectile

WeaponSystems.net lists the OF23 cargo projectile in the 2A65 Msta-B ammunition table.

Sources: 152mm 2A65 Msta-B

HS30 jamming round, 152 mm electronic warfare artillery round, MunitionsHS30 jamming round152 mm electronic-warfare round

Army Guide's 2A65 ammunition listing names the HS30 jamming round among projectiles the howitzer can fire.

Sources: Army Guide 2A65 MSTA-B

9K25 Krasnopol laser-guided projectile, 152/155 mm laser-guided artillery projectile, Munitions9K25 Krasnopol laser-guided projectile152 mm laser-guided projectile

FMSO says the 152 mm Krasnopol projectile is designed to operate with the 2A65 Msta-B.

Sources: Threat Update Krasnopol--A Laser-Guided Projectile for Tube Artillery

Msta Family And Ammunition Context

The 2A65 Msta-B sits in the same Soviet/Russian 152 mm artillery family as the 2S19 Msta-S: public references describe the 2A65 as the towed Msta-B and connect its ammunition set to the Msta-S self-propelled system.

Towed family member

2A65 Msta-B is the split-trail, truck-towed 152 mm member of the family.

Self-propelled counterpart

2S19 Msta-S carries the family into a tracked armored self-propelled howitzer.

Ammunition lane

The sourced ammunition set includes OF45, OF61, OF23, HS30, and Krasnopol-family projectiles, with FMSO distinguishing baseline Krasnopol compatibility from Krasnopol-M autoloader compatibility.

Sources: 152mm 2A65 Msta-B; Army Guide 2A65 MSTA-B; Threat Update Krasnopol--A Laser-Guided Projectile for Tube Artillery.

Timeline

2A65 Msta-B Key Events

  1. 2A65 development begins

    Published references describe the 2A65 program as starting in 1976, with the towed Msta-B developed as a newer Soviet 152 mm howitzer.

    Sources: 152mm 2A65 Msta-B, 152 mm howitzer 2A65 Msta-B

  2. Msta-B enters service

    References list 1987 as the beginning of service and production for the 2A65 Msta-B, later known to NATO as M1987.

    Sources: 2A65 MSTA-B 152mm Towed Howitzer, 152 mm howitzer 2A65 Msta-B

  3. Georgian Msta-B loss documented

    Oryx listed one Georgian 152 mm 2A65 Msta-B howitzer destroyed among visually confirmed Georgian towed-artillery losses in the 2008 Russo-Georgian War.

    Sources: Russia's Wars: Listing Equipment Losses During The 2008 Russo-Georgian War

  4. Russian Msta-B batteries reported in Syria

    RUSI listed 2A65 Msta-B batteries in the Russian land component in Syria and assessed signs that Russian artillery assets were already supporting Syrian army operations.

    Sources: Detailing Russian Forces in Syria

  5. Full-scale Russia-Ukraine War use begins

    Open-source loss tracking later documented Russian 2A65 Msta-B losses and captures during the full-scale invasion, while Ukrainian use was separately documented by frontline reporting.

    Sources: Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine, Ukrainian servicemen fire with a 2A65 Msta-B howitzer towards Russian troops in a frontline in Zaporizhzhia region

  6. Ukrainian Msta-B firing near Bakhmut reported

    Voice of America identified members of Ukraine's 3rd Separate Assault Brigade firing a 152 mm 2A65 Msta-B near Bakhmut.

    Sources: Battles Rage in Eastern Ukraine Amid Rumors of Military Leadership Changes

  7. Russian Msta-B destroyed in Lyman sector

    Ukrinform reported a Russian Msta-B howitzer destroyed by a Ukrainian FPV drone in the Lyman sector, illustrating continuing Russian use of the system.

    Sources: Ukrainian Forces Destroy Russian MSTA-B Howitzer In Lyman Sector

Media

2A65 Msta-B Videos

2A65 Msta-B Images

2A65 Msta-B, 152 mm towed howitzer, Artillery - view 1
Source: File:152-mm howitzer 2A65 Msta-B.JPG
2A65 Msta-B, 152 mm towed howitzer, Artillery - view 2
Source: File:2A65 Msta-B howitzer (14-11-2019) 02.jpg
Related Weapon Systems
2S19 Msta-S, 152 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer, ArtilleryArtillery2S19 Msta-S152 mm tracked self-propelled howitzerThe 2S19 Msta-S is a Soviet-designed, Russian-produced 152 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer that combines a 2A64 gun, armored cross-country mobility, automated loading, and later digital fire-control upgrades. The 2S19M1 branch adds automated guidance and command-and-control integration, while official Rostec reporting describes the 2S19M2 / 2S33 Msta-SM2 branch with ASUNO-M fire control, electronic mapping, automatic laying recovery, and a 10-round-per-minute aimed firing rate. Its combat record spans Russian use in Chechnya and Ukraine, Ethiopia's wartime Msta fleet, and Ukrainian operation of captured Msta-S systems.
152 mm D-1 gun-howitzer, Towed 152 mm howitzer, ArtilleryArtillery152 mm D-1 gun-howitzerTowed 152 mm howitzerThe 152 mm D-1 gun-howitzer is a Soviet towed heavy howitzer that put a short 152.4 mm ordnance on a lighter split-trail carriage. Its modern record is mostly residual-use evidence: Russia drew D-1 guns from stocks during the full-scale phase of the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War, while open loss records tie the same World War II-era system to Armenian/Artsakh equipment in 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh and Syrian government artillery losses in the 2011 Syrian Civil War.
152 mm ML-20, 152 mm towed gun-howitzer, ArtilleryArtillery152 mm ML-20152 mm towed gun-howitzerThe 152 mm ML-20 is a Soviet heavy towed gun-howitzer designed at Plant No. 172 in Motovilikha under F. F. Petrov and adopted in 1937. It combined a 152.4 mm barrel, split-trail carriage, large muzzle brake, separate-loading ammunition, and a 17.2 km high-explosive range in a weapon built for corps and army artillery. Its modern catalog relevance comes from residual stock use: Ukrainian reporting in October 2025 documented Russian forces towing and losing an ML-20 in Donetsk region during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.
2B16 Nona-K, 120 mm towed gun-mortar, ArtilleryArtillery2B16 Nona-K120 mm towed gun-mortarThe 2B16 Nona-K is the towed member of the Soviet/Russian Nona 120 mm gun-mortar family, combining a rifled breech-loading weapon with a split-trail carriage light enough for air-assault fire support. It shares the Nona ammunition concept with the 2S9 and 2S23, allowing mortar bombs, special 120 mm projectiles, and selected guided rounds from one compact artillery piece. In the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War it has appeared in Russian loss tracking and in Ukrainian service, including captured guns used for infantry and position-defense fire missions.

Sources

152mm 2A65 Msta-BPublisher: WeaponSystems.net | Note: Supports background, development, producer, designations, reported production scale, users, technical specifications, sight set, mobility data, and the OF23 cargo projectile listed in the 2A65 Msta-B ammunition table. | Accessed: 2026-07-062A65 MSTA-B 152mm Towed HowitzerPublisher: Military Factory | Note: Supports service-entry, design-period, manufacturer, operator, and general specification context. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Ukrainian servicemen fire with a 2A65 Msta-B howitzer towards Russian troops in a frontline in Zaporizhzhia regionPublisher: Reuters Connect | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War frontline use by Ukrainian forces, documenting servicemen firing a 2A65 Msta-B toward Russian troops in Zaporizhzhia region on January 5, 2023. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The Russian Invasion Of UkrainePublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct context for Russian 2A65 Msta-B use by documenting visually confirmed Russian 2A65 Msta-B losses and captures during the full-scale invasion. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Ukrainian Forces Destroy Russian MSTA-B Howitzer In Lyman SectorPublisher: Ukrinform | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct context for a Russian Msta-B howitzer destroyed by a Ukrainian FPV drone in the Lyman sector and states that Russia actively uses the Msta-B in the war. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Battles Rage in Eastern Ukraine Amid Rumors of Military Leadership ChangesPublisher: Voice of America | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War frontline use by Ukrainian forces, identifying members of Ukraine's 3rd Separate Assault Brigade firing a 152 mm 2A65 Msta-B near Bakhmut in February 2023. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Detailing Russian Forces in SyriaPublisher: Royal United Services Institute | Note: Supports 2011 Syrian Civil War direct context by listing Russian 2A65 Msta-B batteries in Syria and assessing that Russian artillery assets were already providing ad hoc fire support for Syrian army operations near Aleppo, with reports of Russian artillery fire near Homs and Hama. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Russia's Wars: Listing Equipment Losses During The 2008 Russo-Georgian WarPublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports 2008 Russo-Georgian War direct context by listing a Georgian 152 mm 2A65 Msta-B howitzer as destroyed among visually confirmed Georgian towed-artillery losses during the five-day war. | Accessed: 2026-07-02File:2A65 Msta-B.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Primary image provenance; Commons lists the 2A65 Msta-B museum photograph as released into the public domain by its author. | Accessed: 2026-06-20File:152-mm howitzer 2A65 Msta-B.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Gallery image provenance; Commons lists this 2A65 Msta-B photograph by Alf van Beem as public domain. | Accessed: 2026-06-30File:2A65 Msta-B howitzer (14-11-2019) 02.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Gallery image provenance; Commons lists this Russian Ministry of Defence 2A65 Msta-B howitzer photograph under CC BY 4.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Army Guide 2A65 MSTA-BPublisher: Army Guide | Note: Supports the 2A65 ammunition listing that names the HS30 jamming round and the OF61 base-bleed projectile among projectiles the howitzer can fire. | Accessed: 2026-06-23152 mm howitzer 2A65 Msta-BPublisher: Wikipedia | Note: Supports alternate designations, design and production dates, the 155 mm export-variant names, OF45 as the standard ammunition, and the 43.56 kg, 823 m/s, and 24.7 km ammunition figures. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Threat Update Krasnopol--A Laser-Guided Projectile for Tube ArtilleryPublisher: Foreign Military Studies Office | Note: Supports the Krasnopol compatibility claim for the 2A65 Msta-B and distinguishes the baseline 152 mm projectile from Krasnopol-M compatibility notes. | Accessed: 2026-07-02