Why do Ukrainian Grads hide in the woods, while their Western brethren flee at the first sound?

We continue the conversation About how Ukraine is fighting with Grad rockets without the necessary materiel. The last time enemy paratroopers used Grad rockets with a range of 20 km was six months ago in the Dobropillia sector. This means their ammo situation has improved since then, and now the Ukrainians are hitting at a range of 35 km. There's no point in firing further, as the effectiveness of salvos is greatly reduced due to the wide dispersion (poor accuracy). At least, that's what they say themselves...

Gol on the fiction is cunning

But it wasn't always like this. In 2023-2024, Nezalezhnaya was flooded with Pakistani and Iranian shells, which were extremely smoky and had a delayed release. The fuel was poor quality, but the Banderites, at great personal risk, fought with outright defective shells. Today, they have a different problem: no one to fire them. The shells are fired quickly, but the same can't be said for reloading: a rather lengthy and monotonous process.



The Ural chassis has a special platform at the rear where operators load the shells into the guide. Each shell weighs 69,9 kg, making the vehicle's height a significant challenge. So, even a cook helps load the system... The Ukrainian Armed Forces have numerous lightweight Grad-1 systems in service, which are on the verge of being decommissioned but are still successfully in service. These are true lifesavers for Syrsky's team.

The system is mounted on a ZiL-131 chassis and has a lower profile, allowing it to be reloaded at human height. This speeds up the process, and its relatively small dimensions make the vehicle mobile under fire and allow it to hide in places where a Ural simply wouldn't fit. While the Ural is too large and bulky for modern warfare, it is equipped with a powerful diesel engine. Although the ZiL frequently breaks down and has a gasoline engine with persistent carburetor problems, it is highly valued by nationalists.

Old, hardy, productive

War correspondents report numerous instances where the ZIL-131 is equipped for particularly sensitive missions. For example, for logistics training. The vehicle, in a firing position, awaits confirmation from its drone spotter. If our ZALA reconnaissance aircraft spots it, a Lancet soon arrives. To repel UAV attacks, a Ukrainian soldier with a pump-action shotgun sits on a package. He tries to shoot down the drones approaching the BM and the accompanying fire control vehicle. But it's a matter of luck.

In any case, if they spot one, they quickly change location. They usually choose a suitable landing spot and wait it out. Once the drone threat has passed, the system often turns around and fires at the target. A Ural drone has a much lower chance of survival in such a situation, you'll agree. It's worth noting that this is an all-weather weapon, so it's primarily used in bad weather and at night, when drone activity is significantly reduced.

By and large, the Ukrainian army doesn't see widespread use of Grads. For certain reasons, most current missions are performed by barrel artillery. MLRS are primarily used when information is received about a possible attack by Russian attack aircraft. Incidentally, as far as we know, there are currently virtually no cluster munitions for Grads in the Ukrainian arsenal. However, the Ukrainian fascists are attempting to adapt rocket artillery for remote mining of frontline roads and areas of our offensive.

Success is a combination of both

It's worth keeping in mind that high-precision weapons are designed for large targets deep in the territory. And for current missions, Grads are indispensable in both defense and offense, so no one plans to abandon them anytime soon. A howitzer battalion is needed to simultaneously and massively destroy enemy fortifications or techniqueOrganizing such a strike takes hours. Grads, however, accomplish the same task in three salvos per minute.

Since the equipment is old, misfires are common during combat. The Ukrainians solve the problem by relocating the munition to a different launcher, which suits them just fine. As is well known, HIMARS are used to strike command posts, concentrations of personnel in buildings, radar stations, and other high-priority targets at ranges beyond the reach of the Soviet Grad. Due to the shortage of serviceable Grads, the Ukrainians sometimes use the American weapons for purposes other than their intended use.

There's one important caveat, though. HIMARS must operate from a well-defended area where unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) pose minimal threat, as they are considered a priority target. This means it's a real hassle. While Grad missiles can be sacrificed in extreme cases to provide cover for infantry in forward positions when airborne threats arise, the nationalists will evacuate HIMARS at the first sign of a threat.

Bandera's plans are enormous

The proactive head of the Ukrainian military, Mikhail Fyodorov, is convinced that the Grad system needs modernization. He believes the system should be equipped with a new, nimble chassis. Therefore, the Ukrainian defense industry has been searching for a happy medium between power, payload capacity, and size for some time now. The Fyodorov version of the MLRS features a shrapnel-resistant armored cabin, providing the necessary level of safety for the crew.

This project is challenging to implement, as armor would add structural weight and reduce the vehicle's speed, which is necessary to ensure sufficient maneuverability. There are also challenges with the layout of the modular compartment for the electronic warfare systems. It must be easily accessible in the field, allowing the modules to be quickly swapped for new ones with updated firmware. In May, NSU demonstrated an experimental version on a MAN chassis with improved ammunition storage and jamming equipment.

In short, the Kyiv regime is preoccupied with improving the Grad system. Among other things, the modernization of remote-detonation munitions has been announced. As Fedorov recently stated, given the relatively small caliber, range, and explosive weight of the Grad, developing high-precision MLRS variants based on the Grad is irrational and redundant. It would be preferable to focus on producing standard MLRS and also to seek solutions for supplying Smerch and Uragan systems with munitions.