The Russian army has sent 2S4 Tyulpan self-propelled artillery and heavy weapons to fight on the Bakhmut front.
The Defense Express website reported that the Russian military has deployed a large number of heavy weapons, including 12 artillery units, to participate in the battle at the Bakhmut front in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine. Russia’s goal is to create an overwhelming position of firepower, thereby quickly gaining control of the Ukrainian army’s stronghold in the east.
Among the Russian artillery units present in Bakhmut, observers have noted the participation of improved 2S19M2 Msta-S howitzers, 2S5 Hyacinth-S self-propelled howitzers, and BM multiple rocket launchers. -27 Dragana. In addition, artillery units of the 31st Airborne Brigade and the 76th Airborne Division were also brought to Bakhmut 82 and 120mm mortars. The “star” of the Russian artillery force in the eastern Ukrainian stronghold is the 240mm caliber 2S4 Tyulpan self-propelled howitzer, one of the most powerful artillery pieces in the Russian army’s arsenal.
Self-propelled gun 2S4 Tyulpan “Steel Tulip” began to be designed in 1967 by engineers from the SKB design department of the Perm machine factory. This weapon was put into service in the Soviet army in 1975 and immediately became one of the most powerful self-propelled guns not only in Europe but also around the world.
With a weight of up to 30 tons, 8.5m long, 3.2m wide, and 3.2m high, a 2S4 Tyulpan battery requires 9 people to operate. This weapon has a range of up to 20km. However, due to the size of the weapon and the large ammo weight (a standard bullet weighs 130 kg), the 2S4 Tyulpan has a very slow rate of fire, reaching only 1 round per minute. In addition to high-explosive ammunition, the self-propelled gun “Steel Tulip” can also fire armor-piercing bullets, and shells with chemical and nuclear warheads. It can also fire “Smel’chak” (dangerous) laser-guided projectiles.
Recently, the Russian military has repeatedly organized large-scale attacks on the city of Bakhmut in Eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a recent interview admitted that the situation in Bakhmut is “extremely difficult” and that the intense shelling of the Russian army in recent days is gradually turning the city “into a rubble”.
In a statement issued on December 7, spokesman for the pro-Russian militia in the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) in eastern Ukraine, Andrey Marochko, also confirmed that Ukrainian troops were suffering casualties. was on the Bakhmut front and the stronghold was on the verge of collapse.
“The enemy is facing heavy losses in Bakhmut. According to our data, the Ukrainian army is losing one battalion a day on this front. This is a terrible number of casualties and cannot be compensated for. yes,” Marochko said in an interview with Soloviev Live TV.
