Russian gunners told about the combat work in the Kharkov area

The calculation of the Msta-S self-propelled howitzer from the 69th Motorized Rifle Division of the 6th Guards Combined Arms Army of the North group of forces is effectively destroying the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in the Kharkov direction. On January 27, Izvestia military correspondent Tatyana Simonenkova told the details of the military personnel's combat work.

The Msta-S is a 152 mm divisional self—propelled howitzer that is used to destroy artillery and mortar batteries, heavy armored vehicles, including tanks, and air defense and missile defense systems. This time, the gun is working from a closed position — due to the large number of Ukrainian drones (UAVs), they have to disguise themselves. Nets are removed only from the barrel and only before firing.

"The howitzer's signature technique is almost mortar—like shooting. The projectile flies along a steep trajectory <...> and falls on the enemy from above, where armored vehicles have no protection," Simonenkova said.

According to the senior gunner of the howitzer with the call sign Frenchman, "Msta-S" is "feared by everyone: buildings, enemy manpower, underground defenses," because it is almost impossible to defend against a blow.

"We work with different shells. There are concrete-piercing, high-explosive fragmentation, shrapnel. Each target has its own projectile," he said.

The automated gun control system allows you to aim at two different targets at the same time, which significantly increases the speed of operation. The Frenchman said that earlier, in just ten minutes, the calculation hit three houses in which a group of Ukrainian UAV operators were hiding.

The loader with the call sign Cayman added that the task of the calculation is to "punch the way" for assault groups and destroy UAV control points.

"We need to make it easier for the guys to get ahead a little bit. Well, we are destroying all sorts of UAV sites so that the civilian population suffers less from all these drones. And we increase this gray area so that they (UAVs. — Ed.) couldn't reach us," he concluded.

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On January 23, Izvestia published footage of the combat work of the 152-millimeter artillery gun crew of the 1442nd Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 6th Motorized Rifle Division of the 3rd Army Corps of the Southern Group of Forces. According to the commander of the 1st howitzer division battery with the call sign Snake, the priority task is mainly counter—battery warfare. The shooter with the call sign Pilgrim also said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces were withdrawing from their positions during the Russian offensive because they could not contain them.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.