M109 in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War

Direct proof of use

M109-family howitzers are directly documented in Ukrainian service during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War. Norway announced on 8 June 2022 that it had donated 22 M109 155 mm tracked self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine, along with gear, spare parts, and ammunition, and said the guns had already been shipped from Norway. DVIDS imagery and video from Grafenwoehr, Germany, separately documented Ukrainian artillerymen training on U.S. and Norwegian M109 howitzers in May 2022 as part of security-assistance packages.

Later reporting tied Ukrainian M109 use to front-line operations. Defense Express reported that M109A6 Paladins of Ukraine's 47th Mechanized Brigade were used during the late-August 2023 battles around Robotyne, while The War Zone reported front-line accounts that U.S.-donated M109A6 Paladins supported the Robotyne-Verbove counteroffensive sector through rapid firing and repositioning.

Sources: Norway Has Donated M109 to Ukraine, Armed Forces of Ukraine Train with U.S. and Norway M109 Howitzer, Soldiers from the U.S. and Norway Train Armed Forces of Ukraine, M109 Paladin Helped Ukrainian Forces Push Russians Off Robotyne, Ukraine Situation Report: M109 Paladins Are Proving Too Wily

Timeline

The first clear public milestones are transfer and training records from spring 2022. Ukrainian crews trained on M109s at Grafenwoehr on 12 May 2022, and Norway publicly announced the donation of 22 M109 howitzers on 8 June 2022 after the artillery pieces had been shipped.

The U.S. then added M109A6 Paladin howitzers to Ukraine's support pipeline in January 2023. A U.S. Department of Defense release listed 18 155 mm self-propelled howitzers and ammunition-support vehicles in the 6 January 2023 package, and a Defense Department news story identified those howitzers as Paladins. By September 2023, battlefield reporting placed Ukrainian Paladins in the Robotyne area during the southern counteroffensive.

Sources: Soldiers from the U.S. and Norway Train Armed Forces of Ukraine, Norway Has Donated M109 to Ukraine, More Than $3 Billion in Additional Security Assistance for Ukraine, U.S. $3 Billion Military Package to Ukraine Looks to Change Battlefield Dynamics, M109 Paladin Helped Ukrainian Forces Push Russians Off Robotyne, Ukraine Situation Report: M109 Paladins Are Proving Too Wily

Operational role

In Ukrainian service, the M109 filled a mobile 155 mm fire-support role. The Norwegian transfer covered older M109-family howitzers with ammunition and support equipment, while the U.S. Paladin package added self-propelled 155 mm guns paired with ammunition-support vehicles and large stocks of 155 mm rounds.

The Robotyne reporting describes the Paladin's role as battlefield artillery rather than long-range strategic strike. Ukrainian crews and reporting emphasized shoot-and-scoot employment, firing from positions near the front and moving quickly to reduce exposure to Russian counter-battery fire. Defense Express reported high firing rates during intense fighting and described the guns supporting Ukrainian operations against entrenched Russian forces.

The public sources support transfer, training, and front-line use, but they do not establish a complete inventory, every donor variant, or a verified first combat shot for the broader M109 family in Ukraine.

Sources: Norway Has Donated M109 to Ukraine, More Than $3 Billion in Additional Security Assistance for Ukraine, U.S. $3 Billion Military Package to Ukraine Looks to Change Battlefield Dynamics, M109 Paladin Helped Ukrainian Forces Push Russians Off Robotyne, Ukraine Situation Report: M109 Paladins Are Proving Too Wily