Direct proof of use
The ZU-23-2 is documented in Ukrainian service during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War through Ukrainian official reporting and defense-media accounts. Defense Express reported in November 2022 that National Guard of Ukraine teams in northern Kharkiv Oblast used combined MANPADS and ZU-23-2 units against Russian helicopters, including Mi-24, Mi-28, and Ka-52 targets.
A July 2023 Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine profile described a Red Kalina Brigade anti-aircraft artillery platoon commander whose trailer-mounted ZU-23-2 crew covered military facilities, infantry, and equipment in Vinnytsia, Kyiv, Luhansk, and Donetsk regions. ArmyInform later reported a February 2024 Luhansk-region action in which Pomsta Brigade border guards used a ZU-23-2 in coordination with grenade launchers and mortars against Russian infantry.
Sources: Defense Express Combined Units Tactics, MVS Red Kalina Air-Defense Profile, ArmyInform Pomsta Brigade Luhansk
Timeline
On November 17, 2022, Defense Express described National Guard combined air-defense teams in northern Kharkiv Oblast using ZU-23-2 guns with MANPADS against Russian helicopters and drones. The report framed the gun as a complement to heat-seeking missiles when Russian helicopters used infrared decoys.
On July 9, 2023, Ukraine's Ministry of Internal Affairs published the Red Kalina Brigade account of trailer-mounted ZU-23-2 combat duty across several Ukrainian regions. On February 9, 2024, ArmyInform reported ZU-23-2 direct-fire use by Pomsta Brigade border guards in Luhansk region.
Sources: Defense Express Combined Units Tactics, MVS Red Kalina Air-Defense Profile, ArmyInform Pomsta Brigade Luhansk
Operational role
In Ukrainian service, the ZU-23-2 appears as both a short-range air-defense gun and a direct-fire weapon. Defense Express attributed the combined-unit air-defense method to National Guard reporting: MANPADS were used where convenient, while ZU-23-2 gunfire was used against helicopters when decoys could defeat infrared-guided missiles and against drones that did not justify a missile shot.
The MVS profile shows the same weapon in a wider force-protection role. The Red Kalina account describes position selection, frequent relocation because the towed gun lacks armor protection, and coverage of facilities, infantry, and equipment. It also describes fire against air targets, infantry, lightly armored vehicles, enemy positions, dugouts, and shelters.
The February 2024 ArmyInform report supports a narrower ground-combat incident: Pomsta Brigade border guards used a ZU-23-2 after aerial reconnaissance detected Russian infantry movement in Luhansk region and relayed coordinates to Ukrainian units.
Sources: Defense Express Combined Units Tactics, MVS Red Kalina Air-Defense Profile, ArmyInform Pomsta Brigade Luhansk
