RM-70 Vampire in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War

Direct proof of use

The RM-70 Vampire is directly documented in Ukrainian service during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty published October 17, 2022 footage and reporting that Ukrainian troops had deployed the Czech RM-70 Vampire rocket system in frontline battles in the Donetsk region.

Defense Express, summarizing ArmyInform reporting from October 2022, described a Ukrainian RM-70 Vampire crew in Donetsk Oblast and reported that the system was being used for counter-battery combat, with UAV operators correcting fire. The same report stated that Ukrainian forces had received some RM-70 Vampire multiple rocket launchers from the Czech Republic as early as April-May 2022.

Ukrainian reporting in August 2023 added a unit-level example: Valerii Zaluzhnyi posted footage of RM-70 Vampire crews from the 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade working on the contact line, and The New Voice of Ukraine reported the same brigade context.

Sources: Ukrainian Soldiers Unleash Czech 'Vampire' Rocket System On Russian Forces, The Czech RM-70 Vampire Unit Commander Comments on the Use of the MLRS Against Invaders in Donetsk Oblast, Zaluzhnyi Shows Off RM-70 Vampire MLRS At Work, Ukrainska Pravda RM-70 Vampire In Action

Timeline

The source-backed sequence begins with transfer and fielding rather than a named first firing. Defense Express reported that open-source data placed Ukrainian receipt of some RM-70 Vampire systems from the Czech Republic in April-May 2022. RFE/RL then published October 17, 2022 battlefield footage from Donetsk-region fighting, followed by Defense Express's October 19, 2022 article on an RM-70 Vampire crew's counter-battery role.

On February 23, 2023, the Czech Foreign Ministry reported that Czech citizens' fundraising had purchased RM-70 Vampire rocket launchers among other military aid, while Czech industry had delivered multiple rocket launchers and rockets to Ukraine in coordination with the Czech government. On August 2, 2023, Ukrainian outlets reported Zaluzhnyi's video of 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade RM-70 Vampire crews on the contact line.

Sources: The Czech RM-70 Vampire Unit Commander Comments on the Use of the MLRS Against Invaders in Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainian Soldiers Unleash Czech 'Vampire' Rocket System On Russian Forces, Czechia Sends Hundreds of Heavy Military Systems Worth Tens of Billions to Ukraine, Zaluzhnyi Shows Off RM-70 Vampire MLRS At Work, Ukrainska Pravda RM-70 Vampire In Action

Operational pattern

In the documented Ukrainian role, the RM-70 Vampire functioned as mobile 122 mm rocket artillery rather than a separate precision weapon. Defense Express described fire missions directed against artillery targets, including a reported 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled gun and D-20 howitzers, while noting that UAV operators corrected the crew's work. The report also described single-shot and salvo fire and ranges dependent on the rockets used.

The system's battlefield value in these reports came from mobility, a protected cabin, and fast firing-cycle features. Defense Express described the additional carried rocket pack and automatic reload arrangement as helping the crew fire and leave the position quickly, while Ukrainska Pravda and NV reported that 110th Brigade crew members described preparing the launcher in about three to four minutes.

The transfer record is broader than the named firing incidents. The Czech Foreign Ministry reported multiple lines of support to Ukraine during the first year of the full-scale invasion, including crowdfunding purchases of RM-70 Vampire launchers, Czech industry deliveries of multiple rocket launchers, and more than 60,000 rockets among ammunition deliveries.

Sources: The Czech RM-70 Vampire Unit Commander Comments on the Use of the MLRS Against Invaders in Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainska Pravda RM-70 Vampire In Action, Zaluzhnyi Shows Off RM-70 Vampire MLRS At Work, Czechia Sends Hundreds of Heavy Military Systems Worth Tens of Billions to Ukraine