2014 Russia-Ukraine War

RAK-SA-12 in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War

Ukrainian border-guard units used Croatian RAK-SA-12 128 mm multiple launch rocket systems for short-range fire support, with later reporting showing Kharkiv, Kupiansk, and vehicle-mounted use.

Weapon profileRAK-SA-12
SideUkraineRoleFire SupportTraining & Foreign Aid
RAK-SA-12, 128 mm towed multiple launch rocket system, Artillery - 2014 Russia-Ukraine War
Image source: Defense Blog RAK-SA-12 Overview

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
Ukrainian border guards fielded Croatian RAK-SA-12 launchers during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.

Sources: Defense Express RAK-SA-12 Ukraine Use, Defense Express RAK-SA-12 Rare Footage

The launcher was used in Kharkiv-direction border-guard operations.

Sources: Defense Express RAK-SA-12 Rare Footage

Ukraine's 3rd Border Guard Detachment used the RAK-SA-12 as a fire-support weapon on the Kupiansk axis.

Sources: Defense Express RAK-SA-12 Kupiansk Use

Ukrainian troops mounted a RAK-SA-12 on a U.S.-supplied M998 HMMWV, and Army Recognition attributed field use to border-guard and Azov Brigade units.

Sources: Army Recognition HMMWV RAK-SA-12

Timeline

RAK-SA-12 In 2014 Russia-Ukraine War

  1. RAK-SA-12 shown with Ukrainian border guards

    Defense Express later identified RAK-SA-12 launchers among weapons shown during a Ukrainian Border Guard Day event attended by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

    Sources: Defense Express RAK-SA-12 Rare Footage

  2. Defense Express reports Ukrainian border-guard service

    Defense Express reported that the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine had shown Croatian RAK-SA-12 towed multiple rocket launchers and described them as in service with Ukrainian border guards.

    Sources: Defense Express RAK-SA-12 Ukraine Use

  3. Kharkiv-direction footage described

    Defense Express reported that State Border Guard Service footage from the Kharkiv direction featured the Croatian RAK-12 multiple launch rocket system in action.

    Sources: Defense Express RAK-SA-12 Rare Footage

  4. HMMWV-mounted RAK-SA-12 reported

    Army Recognition reported Ukrainian use of a U.S.-supplied M998 HMMWV pickup modified to carry the RAK-SA-12, and attributed use to border-guard and Azov Brigade units.

    Sources: Army Recognition HMMWV RAK-SA-12

  5. Kupiansk-sector border-guard use reported

    Defense Express reported RAK-SA-12 use by Ukraine's 3rd Border Guard Detachment fire-support unit on the Kupiansk axis.

    Sources: Defense Express RAK-SA-12 Kupiansk Use

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

The RAK-SA-12 is documented in Ukrainian service during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War through Ukrainian border-guard imagery, battlefield reporting, and later coverage of vehicle-mounted launchers. Defense Express reported in May 2023 that the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine had shown Croatian-made RAK-SA-12 launchers, and the same report described the launchers as serving Ukrainian border guards.

Further Defense Express reporting in September 2024 described State Border Guard Service video from the Kharkiv direction that featured the RAK-12 multiple launch rocket system in action. In May 2025, Defense Express reported RAK-SA-12 use by a fire-support unit of Ukraine's 3rd Border Guard Detachment on the Kupiansk axis.

Sources: Defense Express RAK-SA-12 Ukraine Use, Defense Express RAK-SA-12 Rare Footage, Defense Express RAK-SA-12 Kupiansk Use

Timeline

The public record begins with 2023 Ukrainian border-guard displays, then shifts to operational footage and sector-specific reporting in 2024 and 2025. Defense Express tied the launchers to an April 30, 2023 Border Guard Day event attended by President Volodymyr Zelensky, and later reported Kharkiv-direction footage and Kupiansk-sector use.

Army Recognition reported in January 2025 that Ukrainian troops had mounted the Croatian RAK-SA-12 on a U.S.-supplied M998 HMMWV pickup for quick displacement after firing. That report attributed use to the State Border Guard Service and the Azov Brigade, including activity near Kupiansk and in the Toretsk sector.

Sources: Defense Express RAK-SA-12 Rare Footage, Defense Express RAK-SA-12 Kupiansk Use, Army Recognition HMMWV RAK-SA-12

Battlefield role

In Ukrainian service, the RAK-SA-12 appears as a light, short-range rocket-artillery system for rapid area fire rather than a heavy long-range MLRS. Defense Express described the launcher as firing 12 rockets in under ten seconds or single rockets at roughly one per second, with a range of about 8 km and a 25 m remote-control cable.

The documented employment centers on support to Ukrainian defensive operations against Russian assaults. Reporting identifies Ukrainian border-guard fire-support crews using the system in the Kharkiv and Kupiansk areas, while Army Recognition describes mobile HMMWV-mounted use intended to support shoot-and-scoot tactics and reduce counterbattery exposure.

Sources: Defense Express RAK-SA-12 Ukraine Use, Defense Express RAK-SA-12 Rare Footage, Defense Express RAK-SA-12 Kupiansk Use, Army Recognition HMMWV RAK-SA-12

Videos

RAK-SA-12 In 2014 Russia-Ukraine War

Related Weapons by Role

M93A3 Heron, 70 mm towed multiple rocket launcher, ArtilleryArtilleryM93A3 Heron70 mm towed multiple rocket launcherThe M93A3 Heron is a Croatian lightweight towed multiple rocket launcher documented in Croatian defence-industry material as the HERON B/LVLR 70 M93A3. The system uses forty 70 mm launch tubes on a single-axle trailer for direct or indirect area fire, with a fire remote controller, single-shot or ripple/salvo firing, and the RAK 70 TF M95 rocket family. Open-source reporting in 2025 documented the rare Croatian system in Ukrainian service during the Russia-Ukraine war, while the transfer route and number delivered remain publicly unclear.
RBU-6000 Smerch-2 anti-submarine rocket launcher, Shipboard anti-submarine rocket launcher, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsRBU-6000 Smerch-2 anti-submarine rocket launcherShipboard anti-submarine rocket launcherThe RBU-6000 Smerch-2 is a Soviet-origin anti-submarine rocket-depth-charge system built around a remotely aimed 12-tube launcher, Burya fire-control input, RGB-60 rockets, and a below-deck 60UP feed arrangement. It was fitted to many Soviet-designed surface combatants for close-range undersea defense, and Russian forces later adapted launchers onto improvised ground vehicles during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.
Sakr-6 multiple rocket launcher, Light 122 mm multiple rocket launcher, ArtilleryArtillerySakr-6 multiple rocket launcherLight 122 mm multiple rocket launcherThe Sakr-6 is a light six-tube 122 mm multiple rocket launcher associated with Egypt's Sakr/Grad-compatible rocket-artillery family. Oryx lists the type in both pre-war Yemeni Army inventories and later Houthi-held Yemen Civil War equipment, while technical sources support only family-level details for compatible Sakr and Russian-pattern Grad rockets rather than a complete Sakr-6 datasheet or a verified Sakr-6 firing incident.
2 more weapons
Back to RAK-SA-12Browse 2014 Russia-Ukraine War

Sources