2014 Russia-Ukraine War

2S43 Malva in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War

Russian forces have fielded the 2S43 Malva in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War as a wheeled 152 mm artillery system, with public evidence from June 2024 onward documenting battlefield sightings, Ukrainian strikes, and visually confirmed losses.

Weapon profile2S43 Malva
SideRussiaRoleFire Support
2S43 Malva, 152 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer, Artillery - 2014 Russia-Ukraine War
Image source: File:2S43 Malva.jpg

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
Russian forces fielded the 2S43 Malva in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War by June 2024.

Sources: Defense Express: First Battlefield Sighting, Army Recognition: Malva With Anti-Drone Protection

Ukrainian units reported hitting or destroying individual Russian Malva systems in 2024-2026.

Sources: Defense Express: Direct Hit on Malva, Ukrainska Pravda: SOF Destroy Malva, Defense Express: Northern Eagle Strike

At least three Russian 2S43 Malva losses had been visually recorded by Oryx: two destroyed and one damaged.

Sources: Oryx: Russian Equipment Losses

The system's documented conflict role is Russian wheeled 152 mm artillery fire support.

Sources: Defense Express: Direct Hit on Malva, Army Recognition: First Confirmed Malva Loss

Timeline

2S43 Malva In 2014 Russia-Ukraine War

  1. First reported battlefield sighting

    Defense Express reported that a Russian 2S43 Malva was spotted by a long-range reconnaissance drone in Belgorod Oblast and attributed the vehicle to Russia's 9th Artillery Brigade.

    Sources: Defense Express: First Battlefield Sighting

  2. FPV drone hit reported near Lyptsi-Hlyboke

    Defense Express reported that an Achilles UAV unit FPV drone hit a Russian Malva in the Kharkiv region near the Lyptsi-Hlyboke direction.

    Sources: Defense Express: Direct Hit on Malva

  3. Anti-drone protection deployment reported

    Army Recognition reported Russian Ministry of Defense video showing 2S43 Malva howitzers deployed in Ukraine with improvised anti-drone protection.

    Sources: Army Recognition: Malva With Anti-Drone Protection

  4. SOF-aided destruction claim

    Ukrainska Pravda, citing Ukraine's Special Operations Forces, reported that Ukrainian troops detected a concealed Russian 2S43 Malva during aerial reconnaissance and destroyed it.

    Sources: Ukrainska Pravda: SOF Destroy Malva

  5. First visually confirmed loss reported

    Army Recognition reported the first visually confirmed destruction of a Russian 2S43 Malva, placing the incident near Ozerki in Russia's Kursk region on April 15, 2025.

    Sources: Army Recognition: First Confirmed Malva Loss

  6. Northern Eagle strike reported

    Defense Express reported that operators from Ukraine's Northern Eagle Unmanned Systems Battalion of the 151st Brigade struck a Russian Malva 2S43, with footage released through brigade channels.

    Sources: Defense Express: Northern Eagle Strike

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

The 2S43 Malva is directly documented in the full-scale phase of the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War through battlefield sightings, strike reporting, and visually confirmed loss records. Defense Express reported on June 3, 2024 that a 2S43 Malva belonging to Russia's 9th Artillery Brigade was discovered by a long-range reconnaissance drone in Belgorod Oblast, describing it as the first battlefield sighting of the system.

Later reporting tied the system to active combat use in the Kharkiv and northern-front operational areas. Army Recognition reported in December 2024 that Russian Ministry of Defense video showed Malva howitzers deployed in Ukraine with anti-drone protection, while its April 2025 loss report described the system as first observed deployed in Ukraine on June 2, 2024 in the Kharkiv region.

Sources: Defense Express: First Battlefield Sighting, Army Recognition: Malva With Anti-Drone Protection, Army Recognition: First Confirmed Malva Loss

Timeline

The public conflict record begins after Russia's first serial deliveries of the Malva in late 2023. The first reported battlefield appearance came in early June 2024, followed by Ukrainian strike reports in July 2024 and March 2025, then by an April 2025 visually confirmed destroyed example in Russia's Kursk region.

By 2026, the system remained rare enough that individual strike reports were still treated as notable. On May 2, 2026, Defense Express reported that Ukraine's Northern Eagle Unmanned Systems Battalion from the 151st Brigade struck a Russian Malva 2S43, with footage released through the brigade's official channels.

Sources: Defense Express: First Battlefield Sighting, Defense Express: Direct Hit on Malva, Ukrainska Pravda: SOF Destroy Malva, Army Recognition: First Confirmed Malva Loss, Defense Express: Northern Eagle Strike

Battlefield role and attrition

The supported public record describes the Malva as a Russian wheeled 152 mm artillery system used for fire-support missions rather than as a mass-fielded artillery type. Defense Express's July 2024 report said an Achilles UAV unit FPV drone hit a Russian Malva near the Lyptsi-Hlyboke direction in Kharkiv region and noted earlier imagery of another Malva damaged by an M30A1 munition. The same report described the system as carrying a 2A64 152 mm gun on a BAZ chassis with a stated 24.5 km range.

Ukrainian reporting in March 2025 described a concealed Malva detected during aerial reconnaissance by Special Operations Forces and then struck with artillery. Army Recognition separately reported that the first visually confirmed destruction of a Russian 2S43 Malva was recorded on April 15, 2025 near Ozerki in Russia's Kursk region. Oryx's Russia equipment-loss list subsequently recorded three Russian 152 mm 2S43 Malva entries: two destroyed and one damaged.

The available evidence therefore supports Russian fielding of the Malva in the conflict, repeated Ukrainian targeting of individual vehicles, and a small but visually documented attrition record. It does not support a public count of how many Malvas Russia has deployed in the theater.

Sources: Defense Express: Direct Hit on Malva, Ukrainska Pravda: SOF Destroy Malva, Defense Express: SOF and Artillery Destroy Malva, Army Recognition: First Confirmed Malva Loss, Oryx: Russian Equipment Losses

Visually confirmed losses

Oryx lists three Russian 152 mm 2S43 Malva entries in its Russia equipment-loss record: two destroyed and one damaged.

Sources: Oryx: Russian Equipment Losses

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Sources