Ukrainian artillery units have carried out what Kyiv described as a successful counter-battery operation, destroying multiple Russian guns in the east of the country.
In a post on X, the Defence Ministry of Ukraine wrote, “An effective counter-battery fight. The warriors from the 44th Artillery Brigade destroyed four Russian D-30 guns and a Msta-B howitzer.”
Drone footage released with the statement shows several towed guns being struck and engulfed in fire, with plumes of smoke marking their positions.
An effective counter-battery fight 🔥
The warriors from the 44th Artillery Brigade destroyed 4 russian D-30 guns and a Msta-B howitzer. pic.twitter.com/53k5URvBLo— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) November 6, 2025
The D-30, a 122 mm Soviet-era howitzer introduced in 1960, remains one of the most widely deployed artillery systems in the world. Its simple three-leg carriage allows a full 360-degree traverse, and it can fire up to twelve rounds per minute. Despite being over six decades old, it is still used by more than sixty countries and by both sides in the war. The gun has a maximum range of roughly 15 kilometres with standard shells and up to 22 kilometres with rocket-assisted projectiles.
The Msta-B, a 152 mm towed howitzer developed in the late Soviet period, offers greater range and firepower. It can fire five or six rounds per minute and reach nearly 25 kilometres, with some versions reportedly capable of using specialised or even nuclear projectiles. The system remains a central component of Russian long-range artillery, used to support front-line manoeuvres and suppress Ukrainian defences.
The footage released by Ukrainian forces suggests that reconnaissance drones were used to locate and track Russian firing positions before the strikes were carried out. Each successful engagement of this kind erodes Russia’s artillery advantage.
