The gunners of the 48th Artillery Brigade, who were among the first to receive Ukrainian self-propelled artillery systems, told how the Bohdana is operating today and the peculiarities of its operation compared to other systems.

Soldiers of the 48th Artillery Brigade told this for ArmyInform.

The brigade, which was created during the large-scale war, was one of the first to receive divisions of Ukrainian wheeled howitzers in late 2023. It is armed with both Tatra T-815-based vehicles and later installations with a new chassis and cab from Ukrainian Armor.

“Our division was one of the first in Ukraine to receive the Bohdana self-propelled guns at the end of 2023. Before that, the unit underwent intensive professional training, accepted the vehicle and then underwent practical testing. Our combat crews actually tested the self-propelled artillery system from scratch at the training ground. After the combat coordination, we were immediately sent to perform combat missions,” says Dmytro, the chief sergeant of the first battery of the self-propelled artillery division.

From the beginning of the invasion, Dmytro worked on Soviet Pion self-propelled guns, after which he was retrained and fought on a German Panzerhaubitze 2000. Comparing the Ukrainian wheeled howitzer to these systems, he noted its good accuracy.

“Bohdana is accurate, reliable and modern. Its combat capabilities are impressive, especially here in the Donetsk sector, in real combat conditions. The self-propelled artillery system hits the target very accurately. Usually, the target is hit with the second shot. According to the technical specifications, the declared range of fire is up to 42 kilometers with a high-explosive fragmentation projectile, and rocket-assisted projectile can reach the enemy up to 60 kilometers,” he said.

The artillerymen said that in less than a year of combat operation, one of the Bohdana guns had fired more than 3,000 shots, while the number of shots fired by other vehicles in the unit had already exceeded 2,000.

Damage and repair of Bohdana SPG

Artillery is a priority target for Russian attack drones, so the vehicles are deployed with onboard electronic warfare systems and accompanied by mobile fire teams armed with anti-drone guns. Once in position, the units are camouflaged and covered with anti-lance nets. However, the vehicles are still hit by the enemy.

“Once an unfortunate situation happened. Bohdana was attacked by more than 5 enemy kamikaze drones. The armored cabin of the self-propelled artillery system took the blows. The armor protection held up, the guys inside were, of course, concussed, but they survived. On that day, everything was fine with the crew, only the concussion. Bohdana can withstand an anti-tank mine explosion,” says Dmytro.

Sultan, the commander of the artillery brigade’s repair unit, says that the brigade’s repair platoons restore any vehicle except Bohdan, as they are under the manufacturer’s certification warranty. Therefore, the soldiers are not allowed to carry out any repairs or restoration work.

“The manufacturer’s representatives carry out all repairs in a safe and designated place. The Bohdana unit only delivers or evacuates the vehicle from the positions if it is not technically sound and cannot reach the designated point on its own,” says Sultan.

Two Ukrainian companies repair and maintain the Bohdan, with one repairing the artillery part of the system and the other the chassis.

The team says that one of the most common technical malfunctions of the Bohdan is the wedge and replacement of the gun’s wiper rings, and sometimes the electronics freeze. But the plant’s workers quickly repair everything so that the vehicle can return to combat operations as soon as possible.

The repair units are left with only maintenance and minor repairs of Ukrainian self-propelled guns that do not require major interventions in the design.

“A minor repair is a shrapnel hit, for example, in the fuel tank of a self-propelled gun. By the way, we recently had such an incident. The enemy wanted to destroy Bohdana with artillery strikes, but fortunately, the shell fragments fell nearby. Then we had to quickly fix the problem.

It is a simple repair, but it needs to be done quickly so that the vehicle can leave the firing positions and leave the area of operations before the arrival of a certified service that will continue to service the vehicle in safe conditions. Thank God, this Bohdana is still alive and kicking ass against the Russians.

If the engine, gearbox or anything else in the chassis breaks down, or if there are any shortcomings in the operation of the artillery on the Bogdan, you can’t go there. There are warranties from the factory, and if you “climb” there, there will be claims from the manufacturer, and the repair will not be free,” says Sultan.

The unit’s repairmen risk their lives just as much as the armored vehicles’ maintenance crew.

“Once we had a case when the occupants hit a vehicle with shrapnel and it caught fire. Our repair team had to react quickly. It was possible to save valuable equipment, parts and mechanisms of the Bohdana. And the enemy continued to shell. That day, the guys were working nearby and arrived quickly. Together with the crew, they saved everything that could be saved in the vehicle. Then the specialist of the repair company was seriously wounded. Our combat work goes on around the clock and at the risk of health and lives,” the soldiers of the 48th Artillery Brigade add.