Germany ordered DM121 high-explosive 155 mm shells for Ukraine through Rheinmetall, and later reporting identified German DM121 rounds among the NATO-standard ammunition Ukrainian forces employed with Bohdana artillery.
| Claim | Sources |
|---|---|
| Germany ordered additional DM121 high-explosive rounds through Rheinmetall for Ukraine. | |
| Ukrainian forces were later reported to have employed German DM121 shells with Bohdana artillery. | Sources: Army Recognition Bohdana 6.0 Report, United24 Bohdana 6.0 Report |
| Bohdana's NATO-standard 155 mm caliber enabled use of Western-supplied shells, but earlier Bohdana combat reporting does not identify DM121 in specific actions. | Sources: RFE/RL Bohdana in Battle |
Timeline
Rheinmetall said the German government ordered over 150,000 rounds of artillery ammunition, including additional DM121 high-explosive rounds, with all ammunition earmarked for Ukraine.
Defense Express reported that Ukraine's Defense Ministry had directly contracted Rheinmetall for 155 mm ammunition and described DM121 as one of Rheinmetall's common high-explosive fragmentation shell types already supplied to Ukraine.
Army Recognition reported that Ukrainian forces had employed German DM121 shells with the 2S22 Bohdana 155 mm artillery system.
Sources: Army Recognition Bohdana 6.0 Report
Rheinmetall announced on 10 October 2023 that a German government artillery-ammunition call-off included additional DM121 high-explosive rounds and that all ammunition in the order was earmarked for Ukraine. The same release placed the DM121 inside Rheinmetall's 155 mm artillery-ammunition family.
Combat-use reporting is narrower than the supply evidence. Army Recognition reported in July 2025 that Ukrainian forces had employed German DM121 shells with the 2S22 Bohdana 155 mm self-propelled howitzer, while United24 Media repeated the same Bohdana ammunition context in a June 2025 article. Those sources support Ukrainian employment of the round but do not identify a specific DM121 firing incident.
Sources: Rheinmetall Third Ukraine DM121 Call-off, Army Recognition Bohdana 6.0 Report, United24 Bohdana 6.0 Report
The documented public chain begins with the October 2023 Rheinmetall call-off for Ukraine-destined artillery ammunition, followed by broader 2024 reporting that Ukraine directly contracted Rheinmetall for 155 mm ammunition. By mid-2025, defense-media reporting identified DM121 among the ammunition types Ukrainian forces had used with Bohdana artillery.
Open reporting places Bohdana in combat from 2022, including early operations against Russian forces on Snake Island and later frontline use of NATO-standard 155 mm ammunition, but the available Bohdana battlefield reporting does not identify DM121 in those earlier specific actions.
Sources: Rheinmetall Third Ukraine DM121 Call-off, Defense Express Rheinmetall Ammunition Contract, Army Recognition Bohdana 6.0 Report, RFE/RL Bohdana in Battle
In Ukrainian service, the DM121 is best documented as part of the Western 155 mm ammunition stream that supports Ukraine's NATO-caliber artillery. Rheinmetall's 2023 call-off separated the DM121 high-explosive rounds from other 155 mm shells in the same order and stated that the ammunition was for Ukraine.
The round's reported use is tied to Bohdana, Ukraine's domestically developed 155 mm artillery system. RFE/RL described the Bohdana's NATO-standard caliber as important because Ukraine could obtain 155 mm shells from Western allies, unlike Soviet-standard 152 mm ammunition. Later Bohdana reporting listed German DM121 shells alongside other 155 mm ammunition types used by Ukrainian forces.
The public record does not support a precise first-use date, named Ukrainian unit, target, or location for DM121 rounds. The supported claim is therefore limited to German supply for Ukraine and reported Ukrainian employment of DM121 as 155 mm high-explosive artillery ammunition in the wider 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.
Sources: Rheinmetall Third Ukraine DM121 Call-off, Army Recognition Bohdana 6.0 Report, United24 Bohdana 6.0 Report, RFE/RL Bohdana in Battle
