Direct proof of use
Kitolov-2M is documented in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War through Russian state and industry reporting rather than a large open record of geolocated battlefield imagery. Rostec reported on 15 January 2025 that Kalashnikov had completed December 2024 contracts for high-precision weapons including the Kitolov-2M guided artillery projectile, and said output of those products widely used in the special military operation zone had increased several times.
A TASS article republished by VPK.name on 21 May 2024 separately stated that Kitolov complexes with adjustable high-explosive artillery shells in 120 mm and 122 mm calibers were used in the special military operation and were being improved based on that experience. The same article labels an image of the Malakhit laser-designation complex with Kitolov-2M, Gran, and Krasnopol-M2, linking the named 122 mm family member to the broader Kitolov use claim.
Sources: Rostec Kitolov-2M Contracts 2024, TASS Kitolov Complexes in Ukraine
Timeline
The clearest public milestones are not first-use claims. In May 2024, TASS described 120 and 122 mm Kitolov guided-projectile complexes as being used in the war and improved from wartime experience. In January 2025, Rostec named Kitolov-2M in completed Kalashnikov shipments and described increased production of products used in the war zone. In April 2025, UNITED24 Media reported Kalashnikov's production-expansion claims and noted that only one known public video of Kitolov-2M combat use had surfaced despite the reported production increase.
Sources: TASS Kitolov Complexes in Ukraine, Rostec Kitolov-2M Contracts 2024, UNITED24 Kitolov Production Expansion
Narrative
In this conflict, Kitolov-2M is best described as a Russian 122 mm laser-guided artillery projectile used for precision fire support where a target-designation chain is available. Kalashnikov product data describes the round as a 122 mm semi-active laser-guided shell for towed and self-propelled artillery; UNITED24 Media identifies the D-30 howitzer and 2S1 Gvozdika as the 122 mm systems associated with the round.
The evidence does not support a detailed public incident list. Russian sources describe use at the class and product level, while UNITED24 Media cautions that the visible record of Kitolov-2M combat footage has remained limited compared with the more frequently documented 152 mm Krasnopol guided projectile. That makes the page suitable for documenting Russian fielding and wartime production context, but not for assigning verified strikes, locations, or effects to specific Kitolov-2M rounds.
Sources: Kalashnikov Kitolov-2M Product Page, UNITED24 Kitolov Production Expansion, Rostec Kitolov-2M Contracts 2024
