The Artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 2014–2022: From Combat Experience in the ATO/JFO to the Transformation of the Missile Forces and Artillery

Abstract

Research Objective. The authors aim to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the state, combat deployment, and transformation of the Missile and Artillery Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during 2014–2022, based on the experience of combat operations in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The research methodology is based on the general scientific principles of historicism, systematicity, and scientific objectivity. The study employs general scientific methods—such as logical analysis, synthesis, and others—as well as specialized methods, including chronological, comparative-analytical, and problem-thematic approaches. The scientific novelty of the findings lies in the fact that, for the first time in Ukrainian and international historiography, a comprehensive analysis has been conducted of the evolution of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ artillery from 2014 to 2022 as a distinct systemic process; key lessons have been identified from the combat use of artillery during the Anti-Terrorist Operation (April 14, 2014, to April 30, 2018), which was reformatted into the Joint Forces Operation, and which determined the further development of the missile forces and artillery; the transition from the Soviet legacy to NATO standards during the specified period has been traced. Conclusions. Between 2014 and 2022, the Missile Forces and Artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine underwent a radical restructuring: from a critically neglected state in 2014 to combat-ready units capable of conducting effective counter-battery operations and employing modern fire control systems. The key achievements of this modernization process were: the introduction of counter-battery radars and operational counter-battery warfare; the widespread use of UAVs for reconnaissance and fire correction; the transition to decentralized fire control; and the integration of digital command and control systems. The experience of 2014–2022 is of great significance not only for understanding Ukraine’s military history but also for the theory and practice of artillery transformation in the context of hybrid conflict. It demonstrates that changes in tactics and personnel training can be implemented much more quickly than technical re-equipment, and that it is precisely the “human dimension” of transformation that is often decisive for combat effectiveness.