The 2S43 Malva is a Russian 152 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer that places a 2A64 gun on a BAZ 8x8 chassis for faster road moves and lower operating demands than tracked turreted artillery. Developed through the Nabrosok wheeled-artillery program, it entered Russian deliveries in 2023 and has since been documented with Russian forces in Ukraine, including reconnaissance sightings, Ukrainian strike reports, and visually confirmed losses.
Russian forces fielded the 2S43 Malva after 2023 serial deliveries; Ukrainian and OSINT reporting documented battlefield appearances, drone or artillery strikes, and a visually confirmed destroyed Malva in the Kursk region in April 2025.
Role detailsPublic evidence for Malva in the Russia-Ukraine War is strongest from mid-2024 onward. The record is built from reconnaissance sightings, Ukrainian strike reports, and visually confirmed loss reporting rather than from official Russian combat accounting.
| Evidence lane | What it supports | Source type |
|---|---|---|
| Frontline sighting | A Malva was identified in the Belgorod/Kharkiv operational area in June 2024. | Ukrainian defense reporting from reconnaissance imagery. |
| Strike reporting | Ukrainian drone and artillery reports describe Malva systems being hit or destroyed in 2024-2025. | Ukrainian and specialist defense reporting. |
| Loss confirmation | Open-source loss analysis reported a visually confirmed destroyed Malva in the Kursk region in April 2025. | OSINT-derived defense reporting. |
| Industrial deliveries | Rostec delivery releases show continued Russian procurement while combat evidence appeared. | Russian state-industry reporting. |
Open sources distinguish the baseline 2S43 Malva with its 152 mm 2A64 gun from the later 2S44 Giatsint-K, a related wheeled system reported on the same Malva chassis but fitted with a Giatsint-family gun for greater range.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2S44 Giatsint-K | Longer-range same-chassis follow-on | Army Recognition reports the 2S44 Giatsint-K as a new system developed on the basis of the 2S43 Malva, using the same BAZ-6910-027 wheeled chassis with a Giatsint-family 152 mm gun. Sources: Army Recognition: 2S44 Giatsint-K Spotted at Parade Rehearsal |
The Malva uses a 152 mm 2A64 gun and open references connect it to conventional 152 mm ammunition and Krasnopol-family laser-guided projectiles.
| Ammunition | Ammunition type | Firing evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | 152 mm laser-guided artillery shell | Army Recognition says the 2S43 Malva can fire precision-guided munitions such as Krasnopol-M1, while separate Ukraine-war reporting links Krasnopol-M2 to Russian 152 mm artillery fire. Sources: 2S43 Malva, Army Recognition: Krasnopol-M2 precision strikes in Ukraine |
Malva is best read as Russia's attempt to add a road-mobile 152 mm gun layer beside heavier tracked self-propelled artillery. Its open rear gun mount and wheeled chassis reduce protected turret volume but support faster road movement, simpler redeployment, and air-transport claims.
| Feature | Documented value | Operational implication |
|---|---|---|
| Gun | 152 mm 2A64 | Commonality with the Msta artillery family keeps the weapon inside Russia's established 152 mm ammunition base. |
| Chassis | BAZ 8x8 wheeled truck | Road mobility and a roughly 1,000 km reported range make the system easier to shuttle between firing areas than heavier tracked guns. |
| Ammunition stowage | Up to 30 rounds | The open mount and onboard rounds favor shoot-and-scoot fire missions over prolonged protected firing from a turreted vehicle. |
| Protection | Armored cab only | The crew gains small-arms and fragment protection in transit, but the gun position remains less protected than a turreted tracked howitzer. |
Army Recognition describes the 2S43 Malva as part of the Nabrosok program for newer Russian wheeled artillery systems, with Burevestnik development and a BAZ-6010-027/BAZ-6910-family 8x8 chassis.
Sources: 2S43 Malva, Uralvagonzavod to Complete Development of Malva Self-Propelled Howitzer in 2022
TASS reported Uralvagonzavod's statement that Malva state tests confirmed the system's designed characteristics.
Sources: TASS: Russia Wraps Up State Tests of Malva
Army Recognition's profile records October 26, 2023 as the first-batch delivery date for the Russian army, consistent with subsequent Rostec delivery releases.
Sources: 2S43 Malva
Defense Express reported a 2S43 Malva spotted by Ukrainian reconnaissance in the Belgorod/Kharkiv operational area.
Sources: Russian 2S43 Malva SPG Was Spotted on Battlefield
Defense Express reported a Ukrainian drone crew strike against a Russian Malva in the Hlyboke-Lyptsi area of Kharkiv region.
Sources: Defense Express: Ukrainian Drone Crew Scores Direct Hit on Malva
Ukrainska Pravda and Defense Express reported that Ukrainian Special Operations Forces located a concealed Russian Malva and passed coordinates for an artillery strike.
Sources: Ukrainska Pravda: Ukrainian Troops Destroy Russia's Latest Malva, Defense Express: Ukrainian SOF and Artillery Destroy Malva
Army Recognition reported the first visually confirmed destroyed 2S43 Malva after a Ukrainian strike in Russia's Kursk region.
Sources: Army Recognition: First Confirmed 2S43 Malva Loss
