Rate of Decommissioning of Towed Artillery at Major Russian Base Drops Fourfold

According to satellite imagery analysis, Russia has depleted nearly half of the towed artillery stored at its largest known storage facility near the city of Shchuchye.

The rate at which artillery is being withdrawn from the base has fallen more than fourfold since 2022.

The report comes from OSINT analyst Covert Cabal, who cited analysis of satellite photos.

The facility in the Kurgan region, about 1,800 kilometers from the front line, was established on the grounds of a former chemical weapons arsenal (military unit 92746) following the disposal of chemical stockpiles — an effort funded in part by the United States.

According to estimates by OSINT analysts, the Shchuchye base once held around 50% of Russia’s total stock of towed artillery, with 80–90% in long-term storage.

Despite its importance, the facility has historically received low maintenance priority, with much of the equipment stored in poor condition.

Due to its remote location, satellite imagery of the site is rare and typically of low resolution, making assessments approximate and subject to a wider margin of error than usual.

Analyst estimates that 2,753 artillery pieces remain at the site, down from 4,839 before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.

In 2022 and the first half of 2023, an average of 72 pieces per month were withdrawn. Since July 2023, that rate has dropped to fewer than 17 monthly.

The peak decommissioning rate in 2022 was likely driven by Russia’s mobilization campaign, during which at least 70 new regiments were formed, each requiring between 18 and 36 artillery systems.

While withdrawals have continued, they have not kept pace with battlefield losses. Analysts suggest the slowdown is partly due to the poor condition of the remaining stock, with much of the usable equipment removed in 2022. Still, it remains difficult to assess the technical status of individual guns from satellite imagery, given the image resolution limitations. For instance, a 152mm barrel would appear only a pixel wide, even in high-resolution images.

Similar trends have been identified in Russian armored vehicle reserves. In March 2025, analysts from Resurgam and Military Soothsayer reported that the pace of tank regeneration had declined by 3.5 to 4 times compared to 2022, based on imagery from storage sites and repair facilities.

The depletion of Russia’s storage bases does not indicate an imminent shortage of equipment for its military. However, the overall quantity and quality of available systems are expected to decline unless Russia increases production, receives more supplies from allies, or relies more heavily on civilian vehicles — a trend already visible on the battlefield.