Two DIY “Cheburashka” MLRS were handed over to the invaders

The invasion forces of Russia in the Donbas received “Cheburashka” DIY artillery systems.

The so-called DPR authorities informed that two of these rocket launchers were handed over to the “Kascad” operational-combat formation.

The self-made multiple launch rocket systems “Cheburashka” and “Snezhinka” were presented by the occupation authorities in the Donbass on May 9, 2018.

The “Cheburashka” MLRS has 64 launchers for “217-mm” missiles with a declared range of up to 9600 meters.

The artillery installation is based on the KrAZ-260 truck chassis (6×6).

The manufacturer of the system was indicated as “State Innovation Company of the DPR.”

For combat use of this and other locally produced rocket systems, the “DPR Tactical Purpose Missile Forces” were launched.

The first recorded tests of this system were carried out in 2018 with the shelling of the settlement of Akatsia east of Avdiivka.

The efficacy of this system is very questionable given the maximum range of 9600 meters, which may also not be true.

In 2019, the Ukrainian military was able to retrieve and destroy a 120-caliber mortar with a range of about 7,000 meters from this MLRS.

It’s quite possible that the 240-mm М-24F projectiles were taken from storage bases in Russia to simulate the “own development of the new 217mm” system.

The launchers were probably redesigned from BM-24Т launchers, which also have an approximate maximum range of 10-11 kilometers.