Direct proof of use
The D-74 is documented in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War through Russian Ministry of Defence footage and subsequent open-source loss reporting. UNITED24 reported that the ministry released video on October 8, 2024 showing Russian forces using a D-74 122 mm howitzer in Donetsk region, and Business Insider described the same clip as an entrenched Russian crew firing the towed gun against Ukrainian positions in the Vuhledar direction.
The footage was also preserved on Wikimedia Commons as a Russian Ministry of Defence video under a CC BY 4.0 license, giving the page a traceable media source for the filmed firing sequence. Oryx's Russian equipment-loss list later recorded visually documented Russian D-74 losses in Ukraine, corroborating that the weapon was not only shown in publicity footage but also present in the battlefield loss record.
Sources: UNITED24 Russia Deploys D-74, Business Insider Russia D-74 in Ukraine, Wikimedia Commons D-74 Firing Video, Oryx Russian Equipment Losses
Timeline
The public record begins in October 2024, when Russian official footage showed the D-74 in use near Vuhledar in Donetsk region. The appearance was notable because the D-74 was an early Cold War design that had largely disappeared from Russian service, and reporting at the time treated North Korean supply or ammunition as a possible explanation rather than a confirmed delivery chain.
By August 2025, UNITED24 reported that Oryx had visually confirmed a Russian D-74 loss in Ukraine. Oryx's running list subsequently showed multiple D-74 entries under Russian towed artillery losses, including destroyed and damaged guns.
Sources: UNITED24 Russia Deploys D-74, Business Insider Russia D-74 in Ukraine, UNITED24 Russian D-74 Loss, Oryx Russian Equipment Losses
Role in Russian service
In the documented Ukraine use, the D-74 appears as legacy towed artillery used by Russian forces for fire support. Business Insider reported that the gun was filmed firing on Ukrainian positions in Donetsk and quoted analysts who framed its reappearance as evidence that Russia was drawing on older artillery to sustain massed fires in a largely static war.
The sourcing distinguishes confirmed use from uncertain supply. The D-74's presence with Russian crews is directly supported by the October 2024 footage and later loss documentation, while claims that the guns or their ammunition came from North Korea remain attributed assessments in the available reporting.
Sources: Business Insider Russia D-74 in Ukraine, UNITED24 Russia Deploys D-74, UNITED24 Russian D-74 Loss
