Direct proof of use
The APR-40 is documented in Ukrainian service during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War through transfer reporting and later field-use reporting. Army Recognition reported on May 9, 2023, that Ukrainian forces had received Romanian-made APR-40 122 mm multiple rocket launchers from Croatia, while TurDef reported the next day that Croatia had donated APR-40 systems as part of a wider military-aid package for Ukraine.
The New Voice of Ukraine reported on May 10, 2023, that Ukrainian artillerymen had received Romanian APR-40 multiple launch rocket systems and that published footage showed four APR-40 launchers, although the exact number in use was unknown. Defense Express later reported that an Army TV video showed a 1986-produced APR-40 delivered to Ukraine's 116th Separate Mechanized Brigade.
Sources: Army Recognition APR-40 Ukraine Transfer, TurDef APR-40 Ukraine Transfer, NV APR-40 Ukraine Report, Defense Express APR-40 Ukraine Service
Timeline
Public evidence of the APR-40 in Ukrainian service appears in May 2023, when reporting connected Romanian-made APR-40 launchers to Croatian military aid for Ukraine. The same reporting cycle moved from transfer claims to footage-backed battlefield service: NV described Ukrainian artillerymen with APR-40 launchers and noted that the visible footage showed four systems.
In January 2025, Defense Express used an Army TV report to describe the system in Ukrainian operational use in more detail. That account identified a specific 1986-built launcher delivered to the 116th Separate Mechanized Brigade and described crew-facing differences from the BM-21 Grad family, including aiming arrangements, hydraulic launcher traverse, Romanian-language controls, and field-maintenance issues.
Sources: Army Recognition APR-40 Ukraine Transfer, NV APR-40 Ukraine Report, Defense Express APR-40 Ukraine Service
Narrative
In this conflict, the APR-40 served Ukraine as a 122 mm Grad-compatible multiple rocket launcher for indirect fire support. Open reporting describes the system as a Romanian development derived from the BM-21 Grad family, mounted on a DAC 6x6 truck chassis, and able to fire individual rockets or full salvoes of 122 mm ammunition.
The documented supply path is separate from battlefield employment. Army Recognition and TurDef tied the Ukrainian APR-40 appearance to Croatia's aid package, while Defense Express emphasized that Romania generally does not disclose the volume of its military aid to Ukraine and that precise totals for APR-40 deliveries remain unclear. Available public sources therefore support Ukrainian use and at least one Croatian transfer route, but not a confirmed theater-wide inventory.
The best documented operational details come from Ukrainian media and Defense Express reporting rather than official order-of-battle releases. Those sources identify Ukrainian artillerymen and the 116th Separate Mechanized Brigade as users, but they do not provide enough directly supported information to assign exact firing locations, target sets, or battlefield effects to specific APR-40 launches.
Sources: NV APR-40 Ukraine Report, Defense Express APR-40 Ukraine Service, Army Recognition APR-40 Ukraine Transfer, TurDef APR-40 Ukraine Transfer
