Ukrainian Defense Forces Equipped with American M114 Howitzers from World War II

The Ukrainian Defense Forces have been armed with American 155mm M114 howitzers.

Ukrainian soldier Dmitry MacKenzie published a video of the equipment.

The video captures the first appearance of this howitzer within the ranks of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. Its supply was announced as part of military aid from Portugal and Greece in 2022 and 2024.

In total, during negotiations with the Czech Republic, Greece announced the transfer of around 70 M114A1 howitzers from its own armed forces.

In March 2024, representatives of the Hellenic Republic’s Ministry of National Defence stated that this was likely the second batch of howitzers of this type being transferred to Ukraine.

The M114 howitzers were taken from reserves. They are currently considered outdated weaponry that “has long been deemed unnecessary for operational needs.”

It is worth noting that Ukraine already has a certain number of these howitzers in its arsenal. In 2022, Portugal transferred five such units along with armored vehicles, but they have not yet been spotted in use by the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

The M114 is an American 155mm howitzer, developed in 1941. It was actively used during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Iran-Iraq War, and several other conflicts.

The howitzer has a short barrel length of 23 calibers and is capable of firing to a maximum range of 14,600 meters. This is a relatively low figure compared to modern 155mm systems, but it is comparable to the capabilities of 105mm artillery.

Militarnyi previously reported that the 3rd Assault Brigade received a powerful 240-mm M-240 mortar.

The Ukrainian military received these Soviet 240-mm M-240 mortars in 2022.

The soldiers use 53-VF-864 high-explosive rounds, which weigh 162.7 kg (130.7 kg – mine, 32 kg – charge).