FrankenMsta: Ukrainian Mechanics Refitted Self-Propelled Howitzer

Technicians of the 57th Motorized Infantry Brigade extended the lifespan of the Msta-S self-propelled howitzer chassis by installing a T-72 tank turret on it.

Inna Verenytsia’s photos on the issue were published in the De Volkskrant’s article.

The military repair unit of the 57th Brigade, which is fighting in the Kharkiv region, undertook a large-scale re-equipment of a self-propelled artillery unit that could no longer be used for its intended purpose.

The chassis of the vehicle is deeply unified with Soviet tanks: the vehicle adopted the general chassis design from the Leningrad T-80, and the engine and transmission compartment with a B-84 diesel engine from the Tagil T-72. However, the suspension underwent significant changes and reinforcements to withstand the heavy turret and the higher recoil energy of the 152mm howitzer.

Despite the close resemblance, the Msta in the photo is still recognizable by its distinctive over-track shelves and other small details of the hull and suspension.

It is impossible to install a tank turret without major structural changes, as the diameters of the turret shoulder do not match: the T-72 has a diameter of 2280 mm, while the Msta has a diameter of 2444 mm.

Theoretically, the tank turret could be installed with its functionality intact, as all the necessary equipment, including the automatic loading device, is located in the “under-turret basket” attached to it. However, this would require an adapter ring, which would require the equipment and expertise of a specialized design bureau.

A simpler explanation could be the creation of an improvised tractor or evacuation vehicle based on a working chassis, where it was decided to dismantle the heavy and large turret and cover its place with an existing turret as a fixed armor plate.

Some Msta-S units have been in active service with the Ukrainian army since 2014 and continue to fight to this day, so their condition is far from the best. In addition to this, the 152 mm caliber is gradually becoming obsolete, so the recycling of worn-out but still operational combat vehicles is not a new phenomenon.

Earlier, a similar design was seen in the process of being converted by the Belarusian-Ukrainian unit “Tur” as part of the 225th Separate Mechanized Brigade in Sumy Oblast.

A Msta-based armored personnel carrier tractor manufactured by one of the Ukrainian battalions also was seen in the footage of the invaders combat operations in June 2025.

Previously, Militarnyi told how, during the battles for Bakhmut, Ukrainian repairmen converted a broken T-64B tank into an evacuation vehicle that took damaged equipment from the front line.