Direct proof of use
Public reporting first tied the 2S7M Malka directly to the full-scale phase of the war through Russian Defense Ministry footage circulated in May 2022. Newsweek reported that the ministry shared video of 2S7M Malka crews firing in Ukraine and said Orlan-10 unmanned aircraft were used for target detection, data transmission, and fire adjustment; the same report noted that the ministry did not specify the exact Ukrainian location or struck targets.
A RIA Novosti item republished by VPK.name also described Russian Ministry of Defense footage of 203 mm Malka crews firing from closed positions in Ukraine. It said the demonstrated mission used high-explosive shells at ranges up to 40 kilometers and claimed the fire struck Ukrainian troop positions in forested terrain.
Sources: Newsweek Russian Malka Footage, VPK.name RIA Malka Footage
Timeline
By late March 2022, Ukrainian possession evidence was limited to reported capture: Army Recognition cited Ukraine Weapons Tracker imagery saying Ukrainian forces had captured a Russian 2S7M Malka on March 24, 2022. That source supports captured-equipment context, not Ukrainian operational firing of the captured gun.
On May 27-30, 2022, multiple reports described Russian MoD footage of Malka firing in Ukraine. The later U.S. Army TRADOC G-2 Red Diamond article, published August 30, 2024, placed the 2S7/2S7M family in a broader Russian heavy-artillery fielding pattern, describing long-range fire support, counterbattery employment, and plans for heavy artillery brigades equipped with 2S7 Pion or 2S7M Malka guns.
Sources: Army Recognition Captured Malka, Newsweek Russian Malka Footage, VPK.name RIA Malka Footage, TRADOC 2S7 Ukraine Conflict
Russian heavy-artillery role
The Malka appears in the war as part of Russia's heavy tube-artillery inventory rather than as a mass battlefield system. TRADOC G-2 described Russia pulling 203 mm 2S7-family guns from storage, modernizing them, and placing them into ground-force artillery units to improve range and accuracy for counterbattery work. It also described the systems as being used for long-range fire support in Ukraine.
TRADOC G-2 reported that Russia planned five heavy artillery brigades equipped with 2S7 Pion or 2S7M Malka self-propelled guns. In the same assessment, it said there was ample evidence of Russian 2S7 use in Ukraine for counterbattery fires and noted that 2S7 guns had been observed in dispersed two-gun formations.
Sources: TRADOC 2S7 Ukraine Conflict
UAV-supported fire missions
The May 2022 Russian footage report and later 2025 defense reporting both connect Malka employment to unmanned aerial reconnaissance. Newsweek quoted Russian MoD descriptions of Orlan-10 use for detecting targets and adjusting fire, while Army Recognition reported that Russian Malka combat missions in Ukraine were being paired with UAV support for target-location and fire-adjustment tasks.
Those sources support a documented targeting-support context for Russian Malka employment, but they do not identify a comprehensive order of battle, exact number of guns in Ukraine, or a complete list of locations where 2S7M Malkas fired.
Sources: Newsweek Russian Malka Footage, Army Recognition Malka Drones
