Artillery

2S7M Malka

Also known as
  • 2S7M
  • Malka

The 2S7M Malka is the late Soviet modernized member of the 2S7 Pion heavy artillery family, built around the 203 mm 2A44 gun for long-range fire against deep, hardened, or high-value targets. Compared with the original Pion, Malka carries more ready ammunition, has a higher maximum rate of fire, and in Russian service has been documented in Ukraine as a long-range fire-support and counterbattery system sometimes used with drone spotting.

2S7M Malka, 203 mm tracked self-propelled gun, Artillery
Image source: File:2S7 Pion at ARMY-2018.jpg

Role in Conflicts

2014 Russia-Ukraine War
Fire SupportLong-Range StrikeCaptured, Seized & Recovered

Russian forces have fielded 2S7M Malka guns in Ukraine for long-range fire support and counterbattery missions, with reporting documenting Russian MoD firing footage, heavy-artillery brigade planning, and UAV-supported target detection and fire adjustment. Ukrainian forces also reportedly captured at least one Russian 2S7M Malka in March 2022, but the reviewed sources did not confirm Ukrainian operational firing of the captured gun.

Role details
Modernization And Field Use

Malka keeps the 2S7 family's 203 mm gun while updating the vehicle and fire-control package around it. The strongest public record covers the late-production 2S7M configuration, Russian modernization work, and Russian combat use in Ukraine.

Variant position

Improved late-production 2S7 family member with eight carried rounds, a higher maximum rate of fire, V-84-series power, and newer radio equipment than the base Pion.

Sources: 2S7 Pion

Modernized Russian guns

Rostec described Uraltransmash delivery after overhaul or replacement work on running gear, power units, observation devices, internal communications, radio equipment, and firing tests.

Sources: Rostec Delivered the First Modernized 2S7M Malka Self-Propelled Gun to the Russian Armed Forces

Ukraine employment

Direct sources document Russian 2S7M Malka firing in Ukraine, Russian 2S7/2S7M heavy-artillery brigade planning, and later reporting of UAV-supported Malka fire missions.

Sources: Russians Show Off Artillery's Firepower Over Ukraine in Video; Russia Fielding 2S7 Pion Heavy Artillery in Ukraine Conflict; Russia Combines 2S7M Malka and Drones in Ukraine

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Soviet Union / Russia
Type
203 mm tracked self-propelled gun
Service note
Introduced in the mid-1980s; modernized Russian systems returned to service and combat use in the 2020s
Designer
Kirov Plant and Barrikady design teams
Designed
2S7M Malka modernization developed in the mid-1980s
Produced
1985-1990 for 2S7M production; Russian overhaul and modernization restarted in the 2020s
Developed from
2S7 Pion

Specifications

Caliber
203 mm 2A44 gun
Maximum range
About 37.4 km with standard ammunition and up to about 47.5-50 km with assisted projectiles, depending on ammunition
Rate of fire
Up to 2.5 rounds per minute
Crew
6 on the vehicle, with additional ammunition and crew support carried separately
Combat weight
About 46-46.5 tonnes
Ammunition carried
8 rounds on the 2S7M vehicle
Mobility
Tracked chassis with V-84-series diesel engine; about 50 km/h road speed and roughly 650 km road range
Variants

The 2S7M Malka is the upgraded late-production branch of the 2S7 Pion family rather than a separate artillery caliber or new gun.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
2S7 Pion, 203 mm tracked self-propelled gun, Artillery2S7 PionOriginal 203 mm self-propelled gun

WeaponSystems.net identifies Malka as the improved 2S7M variant, with eight carried rounds, a V-84 engine, newer radios, and a higher rate of fire than the base Pion.

Sources: 2S7 Pion

Ammunition Fired

The 2S7M Malka fires Soviet 203 mm 2A44-family ammunition, including standard high-explosive, rocket-assisted high-explosive, and special nuclear-shell entries already represented in the catalog.

AmmunitionAmmunition typeFiring evidence
3OF43 high-explosive projectile, 203 mm high-explosive fragmentation projectile, Munitions3OF43 high-explosive projectile203 mm high-explosive fragmentation projectile

WeaponSystems.net lists 3OF43 as the high-explosive fragmentation projectile in the 2A44 ammunition family used by the 2S7M Malka.

Sources: 203mm shells for 2A44 howitzer

3OF44 rocket-assisted high-explosive projectile, 203 mm rocket-assisted high-explosive projectile, Munitions3OF44 rocket-assisted high-explosive projectile203 mm rocket-assisted high-explosive projectile

WeaponSystems.net lists 3OF44 as the rocket-assisted high-explosive fragmentation projectile for the 2A44 family, giving Malka its longer published range band.

Sources: 203mm shells for 2A44 howitzer

Sazhenets, 203 mm special nuclear shell, MunitionsSazhenets203 mm nuclear shell

WeaponSystems.net identifies Sazhenets as a 203 mm nuclear shell in the 2A44 family used by the 2S7M Malka.

Sources: 203mm shells for 2A44 howitzer

Ammunition drives the range band

The commonly cited 37.4 km and roughly 47.5 km range figures come from different 203 mm ammunition types rather than from a change in the 2A44 gun itself.

Sources: 203mm shells for 2A44 howitzer, 2S7 Pion

Timeline

2S7M Malka Key Events

  1. 2S7M Malka enters service

    WeaponSystems.net lists 1986 as the 2S7M Malka service-entry year and describes the variant as the late-production upgrade of the 2S7 family.

    Sources: 2S7 Pion

  2. First modernized gun delivered

    Rostec said Uraltransmash delivered the first modernized 2S7M Malka to Russia's Ministry of Defense after mobility, endurance, powerplant, and firing tests.

    Sources: Rostec Delivered the First Modernized 2S7M Malka Self-Propelled Gun to the Russian Armed Forces

  3. Russian MoD footage in Ukraine

    Newsweek reported Russian Defense Ministry footage of 2S7M Malka artillery firing during Russia's war in Ukraine.

    Sources: Russians Show Off Artillery's Firepower Over Ukraine in Video

  4. Heavy artillery brigade planning

    U.S. Army OE reporting described Russian plans for new heavy artillery brigades equipped with 2S7 Pion or 2S7M Malka guns and framed them around long-range fire and counterbattery work in Ukraine.

    Sources: Russia Fielding 2S7 Pion Heavy Artillery in Ukraine Conflict

  5. Drone-supported employment reported

    Army Recognition reported Russian 2S7M Malka combat missions in Ukraine supported by UAV target detection and adjustment.

    Sources: Russia Combines 2S7M Malka and Drones in Ukraine

Media

2S7M Malka Videos

2S7M Malka Images

2S7M Malka, 203 mm tracked self-propelled gun, Artillery - view 1
Source: File:2S7M Malka ready to fire at ARMY-2022.JPG
Related Weapon Systems
203 mm shells for 2A44 howitzer, 203 mm separate-loading artillery ammunition family, MunitionsMunitions203 mm shells for 2A44 howitzer203 mm separate-loading artillery ammunition familyThe 203 mm shells for the 2A44 howitzer are the Soviet separate-loading ammunition family for 2S7 Pion and 2S7M Malka heavy guns. Public references distinguish standard 3OF43 high-explosive fragmentation projectiles, 3OF44 rocket-assisted projectiles, 3O14 cluster shells, concrete-piercing and special-shell designs, plus current Russian OF43/OF44 use and Ukrainian 203 mm ammunition use in the Russia-Ukraine War.
2S43 Malva, 152 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer, ArtilleryArtillery2S43 Malva152 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzerThe 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.
DShKM heavy machine gun, 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsDShKM heavy machine gun12.7 mm heavy machine gunThe DShKM is the Soviet postwar Model 38/46 modernization of the DShK 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, retaining the DShK family's anti-aircraft, infantry-support, and vehicle-mount roles while replacing the earlier feed system. Sources document the DShK-1938/46 in Vietnam War anti-aircraft use, DShK-M capture and employment in the Soviet-Afghan War, DShK-M use by Ukrainian defenders, and DShK/DShKM variants in Islamic State's Iraq-and-Syria arsenal.

Sources

Rostec Delivered the First Modernized 2S7M Malka Self-Propelled Gun to the Russian Armed ForcesPublisher: Rostec | Note: Supports Uraltransmash modernization, Russian delivery context, updated running gear, electronics, communications, fire-control work, and 2A44 testing. | Accessed: 2026-06-302S7 PionPublisher: WeaponSystems.net | Note: Supports 2S7M Malka variant background, production context, armament, rate of fire, crew, ammunition load, engine, weight, speed, and range data. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Russian 2S7M Malka Self-Propelled 203mm Howitzer Able to Hit Enemy in BunkerPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports general 2S7M Malka specifications and modernization context. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Russia Fielding 2S7 Pion Heavy Artillery in Ukraine ConflictPublisher: T2COM G2 Operational Environment Enterprise | Note: Directly supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War use context for the 2S7/2S7M heavy artillery family, including Russian plans for brigades equipped with 2S7 Pion or 2S7M Malka and counterbattery employment in Ukraine. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Russians Show Off Artillery's Firepower Over Ukraine in VideoPublisher: Newsweek | Note: Supports direct 2014 Russia-Ukraine War context for Russian 2S7M Malka crews and provides additional range and rate-of-fire context attributed to Russian MoD footage. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Russia Combines 2S7M Malka and Drones in UkrainePublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Directly supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War use by reporting Russian 2S7M Malka combat missions in Ukraine with UAV-supported target detection and fire adjustment. | Accessed: 2026-06-30203mm shells for 2A44 howitzerPublisher: WeaponSystems.net | Note: Supports the 2A44 ammunition-family context and the 3OF43, 3OF44, and Sazhenets ammunition links from this page. | Accessed: 2026-06-30File:2S7 Pion at ARMY-2018.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a 2S7M Malka photograph from Army-2018, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 by the uploader. | Accessed: 2026-06-30File:2S7M Malka ready to fire at ARMY-2022.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a 2S7M Malka photograph from ARMY-2022, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany by the uploader. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Ukrainian forces reportedly captured a Russian army 2S7M Malka 203mm howitzerPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Directly supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War captured-equipment context by reporting Ukrainian capture of a Russian 2S7M Malka in March 2022; it does not confirm Ukrainian operational firing of the captured gun. | Accessed: 2026-07-02