Direct proof of use
The clearest public evidence for the M795 in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War is supply and ordnance-recognition documentation rather than a single named firing incident. A U.S. Department of Defense Comptroller reprogramming document for Ukraine replacement-transfer funding lists 155 mm HE M795 projectiles among munitions transferred to Ukraine in support of the international effort to counter Russian aggression.
The Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining's Ukraine explosive-ordnance guide gives the battlefield-recognition context. Its third edition, published on February 11, 2025, describes the guide as a reference for qualified EOD operators and survey staff working in Ukraine, includes the 155 mm M795 HE projectile, states that TNT-filled versions had been identified in Ukraine, and says the projectile is typically employed with M777 howitzers while remaining compatible with NATO 155 mm artillery.
Sources: DoD Ukraine Replacement Transfer Fund Tranche 20, GICHD Explosive Ordnance Guide for Ukraine, GICHD Third Edition Publication Page
Supply and identification timeline
By April 2023, Associated Press coverage of U.S. 155 mm ammunition production photographed M795 projectile bodies at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant and described 155 mm howitzer ammunition as one of the most requested munitions of the Ukraine war. The article supports the production and demand setting for U.S.-made 155 mm shells, but it does not by itself identify a specific M795 lot delivered to Ukraine.
The specific M795 transfer evidence appears in the fiscal year 2024 DoD Comptroller replacement-transfer record. GICHD then placed the M795 in its February 2025 Ukraine ordnance guide, tying the round to humanitarian explosive-ordnance recognition in Ukraine and noting the TNT-filled versions identified there.
Sources: AP 155 mm Round in Ukraine, DoD Ukraine Replacement Transfer Fund Tranche 20, GICHD Explosive Ordnance Guide for Ukraine
Narrative
In Ukrainian service, the M795 fits into the wider transition to NATO-standard 155 mm artillery after the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022. It is a conventional high-explosive projectile for 155 mm howitzers, not a guided round or a separate weapon system. The U.S. transfer record documents the supply path, while the GICHD guide documents the munition's recognition profile in Ukraine.
The projectile's likely battlefield role was general 155 mm fire support from Western-compatible artillery. GICHD links the M795 especially with M777 howitzers and NATO 155 mm compatibility. General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems describes the M795 as a 103-pound high-fragmentation steel-body projectile filled with TNT or IMX-101 and compatible with current and future 155 mm towed and self-propelled howitzers.
The public source base does not establish a precise first firing date, a named Ukrainian unit, or a specific strike using M795 projectiles. This record therefore separates documented transfer and ordnance identification from broader 155 mm artillery use in the conflict.
Sources: DoD Ukraine Replacement Transfer Fund Tranche 20, GICHD Explosive Ordnance Guide for Ukraine, GDOTS M795 Brochure
