Direct proof of use
The ZSU-23-4 Shilka is directly documented in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War through OSCE monitoring reports from the Donbas phase, Ukrainian military reporting on restored Ukrainian vehicles, and visual-loss records from the full-scale invasion.
OSCE Special Monitoring Mission reporting identified ZSU-23-4 Shilka systems near Popasna and Sopyne in 2018, placing the type in the security-zone environment before the February 2022 escalation. After Russia's full-scale invasion began, Oryx loss records listed ZSU-23-4 Shilka vehicles among both Russian and Ukrainian visually documented equipment losses.
Sources: OSCE SMM 9 January 2018, OSCE SMM 17 August 2018, Oryx Russian Losses, Oryx Ukrainian Losses
Timeline
In February 2014, Ukrainian forces still had more than one hundred ZSU-23-4 vehicles according to ArmyInform's interview with military historian Andrii Kharuk; the article says the vehicles of the 36th Separate Coastal Defense Brigade were seized in Crimea and that some returned vehicles were later repaired and placed back into service.
During the Donbas phase, OSCE reports recorded ZSU-23-4 Shilka sightings in government-controlled areas, including one near Sopyne in August 2018 and one Shilka plus two probable ZSU-23-4 systems near Popasna in January 2018. In the full-scale invasion period, Oryx recorded five Ukrainian ZSU-23-4 losses and nine Russian ZSU-23-4 losses in its visually documented equipment-loss lists.
Sources: ArmyInform Shilka Role, OSCE SMM 9 January 2018, OSCE SMM 17 August 2018, Oryx Russian Losses, Oryx Ukrainian Losses
Narrative
For Ukraine, the Shilka's conflict role spans stored legacy equipment, restored air-defense vehicles, and direct-fire use by units short of newer systems. ArmyInform states that after Russian aggression began in 2014, Ukraine restored stored ZSU-23-4s and formed units that received Shilkas when Tunguskas were not available for new brigades.
ArmyInform describes Ukrainian Shilkas during the Donbas fighting as used almost exclusively against ground targets and as useful anti-assault weapons in positional battles. The same source says that after February 24, 2022, Shilka batteries fought as part of their brigades, were used against UAVs with limitations, and were also actively used to fire on ground targets.
For Russia, public source support in this record is loss-based rather than a detailed unit history. Oryx's Russian equipment-loss list identifies nine ZSU-23-4 Shilka self-propelled anti-aircraft guns as destroyed, abandoned, damaged and captured, or captured, which directly supports Russian fielding of the type in the full-scale invasion.
Sources: ArmyInform Shilka Role, Oryx Russian Losses
