Bulgarian mystery: Ukraine's Gvozdika howitzers' secret origin
Social media has been circulating photos of new equipment that recently arrived in Ukraine—122 mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers. As analysts from the Defense Express portal noted, this mysterious support, which no government has admitted to, may come from Bulgaria.
Bulgaria may have provided the Gvozdika howitzers delivered to the Ukrainian armed forces. According to analysts, the specific green paint indicates that they originated from this Balkan country in southeastern Europe.
Did Bulgaria secretly deliver equipment to Ukraine?
At the same time, another clue suggesting that the new Ukrainian weapon comes from Bulgaria reports from the first months of 2024, when Bulgaria "was preparing to deliver some of its equipment from warehouses to Ukraine, specifically Gvozdikas," according to Defense Express.
Sofia reportedly had 48 2S1 Gvozdika howitzers at the beginning of last year, according to data from the 2023 Military Balance report. However, it is not known how many units could have been transferred from warehouses to Kyiv. Analysts from Defense Express emphasize that the transfer of weapons occurred "in a mysterious atmosphere". Experts also recall that this may result from last year's issues with the Bulgarian government blocking the transfer of 100 BTR-60 personnel carriers to Ukraine.
Additionally, Kyiv received 2S1 Gvozdika howitzers from Poland. In 2023, Warsaw sent 22 units of this weapon to the front, while in recent days the Ukrainian armed forces were reportedly supported by Gvozdikas from Finland, indicated by their specific camouflage.
The 2S1 Gvozdika howitzers mentioned are equipment produced in Soviet times. This 122 mm self-propelled howitzer dates back to 1967, when the first prototype 2S1 was built. Serial production began four years later, in 1971, and was also conducted in Poland and Bulgaria.
The Gvozdika is a howitzer with a standard layout for this type of weapon but with a low profile, which is significant in its detectability and overall usability. The 2S1 is powered by a unit generating about 300 HP, accelerating the structure to 60 km/h on the road and about 5 km/h in the water.
The maximum range of high-explosive shells used by this howitzer exceeds 15 km. However, rounds with rockets extend the Gvozdika’s range to almost 23 km. Usually, 40 rounds of ammunition are inside the 2S1, but when the vehicle needs to cross a body of water, it should be reduced to 30.
