2014 Russia-Ukraine War

2B14 Podnos in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War

The 2B14 Podnos appeared in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War as an 82 mm light mortar documented in OSCE Donbas monitoring records and later Russian VDV footage from Ukraine.

Weapon profile2B14 Podnos
SideUkraineRussiaRoleFire Support
2B14 Podnos, 82 mm smoothbore mortar, Artillery - 2014 Russia-Ukraine War
Image source: 2B14 Podnos at Engineering Technologies 2010 Forum

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
Ukrainian Armed Forces storage-site monitoring records included a 2B14 Podnos during the Donbas phase of the war.

Sources: OSCE SMM Report, 9 September 2016

OSCE UAVs documented 2B14 Podnos mortars in non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk and Donetsk regions in 2019.

Sources: OSCE SMM Report, 25 February 2019, OSCE SMM Report, 15 April 2019

OSCE UAVs documented probable 2B14 Podnos mortars near government-controlled Novoselivka and Novoluhanske in April 2019.

Sources: OSCE SMM Report, 15 April 2019, OSCE SMM Report, 17 April 2019

The OSCE recorded a 2B14 Podnos mortar beyond withdrawal lines near Peremozhne in October 2020.

Sources: OSCE SMM Daily Report, 19 October 2020

Russian-side full-scale-invasion footage identified 2B14 Podnos mortar support in Ukraine on 23 February 2023.

Sources: Russian VDV 2B14 Podnos Mortar Footage

The catalog role is light infantry mortar fire support.

Sources: 82mm 2B14 Podnos, Russian VDV 2B14 Podnos Mortar Footage

Timeline

2B14 Podnos In 2014 Russia-Ukraine War

  1. OSCE reports missing Ukrainian storage-site Podnos

    The SMM reported that one 2B14 Podnos 82 mm mortar was among Ukrainian Armed Forces weapons missing from a permanent storage site whose location corresponded with withdrawal lines.

    Sources: OSCE SMM Report, 9 September 2016

  2. Three Podnos mortars spotted near Sentianivka

    An OSCE mini-UAV spotted three 2B14 Podnos 82 mm mortars near Sentianivka in a non-government-controlled area of Luhansk region.

    Sources: OSCE SMM Report, 25 February 2019

  3. OSCE UAVs record Podnos mortars on both sides of the line

    The SMM reported a probable 2B14 east of government-controlled Novoselivka and two 2B14 mortars, one probable, near non-government-controlled Shyroka Balka.

    Sources: OSCE SMM Report, 15 April 2019

  4. Probable Podnos near Novoluhanske

    An OSCE mid-range UAV spotted a probable 2B14 Podnos 82 mm mortar near government-controlled Novoluhanske.

    Sources: OSCE SMM Report, 17 April 2019

  5. Podnos listed beyond withdrawal lines near Peremozhne

    An OSCE daily report table listed one 2B14 Podnos 82 mm mortar in a non-government-controlled area near Peremozhne, beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites.

    Sources: OSCE SMM Daily Report, 19 October 2020

  6. Russian VDV footage names 2B14 support

    A Wikimedia Commons file sourced to the Russian Ministry of Defence identifies Russian VDV troops in Ukraine using support from a BMD-2K-AU and a 2B14 Podnos mortar.

    Sources: Russian VDV 2B14 Podnos Mortar Footage

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

The 2B14 Podnos is directly tied to the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War through OSCE Special Monitoring Mission records from the Donbas phase and open-license Russian Ministry of Defence footage hosted by Wikimedia Commons. The OSCE reports document the mortar as conflict materiel in Ukrainian storage-site monitoring and in field sightings on both sides of the contact line, while the Wikimedia-hosted video file identifies Russian VDV troops in Ukraine using support from a 2B14 Podnos mortar on 23 February 2023.

The OSCE records distinguish deployment, storage, and withdrawal-line violations from confirmed firing. On 24 February 2019, an SMM mini-UAV spotted three 2B14 Podnos 82 mm mortars near Sentianivka in a non-government-controlled area of Luhansk region. In April 2019, SMM UAVs also reported a probable 2B14 east of government-controlled Novoselivka, two 2B14 mortars near non-government-controlled Shyroka Balka, and a probable 2B14 near government-controlled Novoluhanske.

Sources: OSCE SMM Report, 25 February 2019, OSCE SMM Report, 15 April 2019, OSCE SMM Report, 17 April 2019, Russian VDV 2B14 Podnos Mortar Footage

Timeline

The sourced timeline begins with Donbas withdrawal-monitoring records before the full-scale invasion. On 9 September 2016, the OSCE reported that a Ukrainian Armed Forces permanent storage site had ten mortars missing, including one 2B14 Podnos. That record supports Ukrainian inventory and storage-site monitoring context, not a particular firing incident.

In 2019 and 2020, the OSCE repeatedly recorded Podnos mortars outside storage or in violation of withdrawal lines. Those sightings placed the weapon near Sentianivka, Novoselivka, Shyroka Balka, Novoluhanske, and Peremozhne. The 23 February 2023 Russian VDV video then provides a full-scale-invasion-era Russian-side source that names the 2B14 Podnos as mortar support in Ukraine.

Sources: OSCE SMM Report, 9 September 2016, OSCE SMM Report, 25 February 2019, OSCE SMM Report, 15 April 2019, OSCE SMM Report, 17 April 2019, OSCE SMM Daily Report, 19 October 2020, Russian VDV 2B14 Podnos Mortar Footage

Battlefield role

The Podnos fits the conflict's light mortar category: an 82 mm smoothbore weapon used for infantry fire support rather than long-range artillery. WeaponSystems.net describes the 2B14 as a Soviet-origin mortar that can be broken into infantry-carried loads and has a maximum range of about 4.3 km with newer ammunition.

In Donbas monitoring records, the weapon appears as controlled or monitored heavy-weapon materiel: missing from a Ukrainian Armed Forces storage site, spotted by OSCE UAVs near government-controlled positions, and spotted in non-government-controlled areas. In the full-scale phase, the Wikimedia Commons file sourced to the Russian Ministry of Defence identifies Russian VDV troops in Ukraine using support from a 2B14 Podnos mortar, but that official media source is used here only for Russian-side fielding and source-attributed support context.

Sources: 82mm 2B14 Podnos, OSCE SMM Report, 9 September 2016, OSCE SMM Report, 15 April 2019, OSCE SMM Report, 17 April 2019, Russian VDV 2B14 Podnos Mortar Footage

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Sources