Ukraine’s monthly production of Bohdana howitzers increased to about 20, Zelenskyy announces

Ukraine has achieved a significant milestone in its defense manufacturing capabilities, now producing up to 20 Bohdana wheeled self-propelled howitzers monthly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address on 30 October 2024. Ukraine has doubled its Bohdana howitzer output since April, when Zelenskyy reported monthly production at ten units.

President Zelenskyy made this announcement following his visit to Nordic countries, where he participated in the fourth Ukraine-Nordic States summit with Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Sweden. The summit focused on new support measures for Ukraine’s defense sector and investments in joint defense projects.

Regarding foreign funding for the domestic Bohdana production, Zelenskyy said:

“We call it the Danish model, enabling us to attract funding from our partners directly into Ukrainian defense production. For example, we are now producing almost 20 Bohdana artillery units per month.”

The 2S22 Bohdana, a Ukrainian 155 mm NATO-caliber self-propelled howitzer, completed trials in January 2022 and first engaged in June during the battle for Zmiinyi (Snake) Island, destroying a Russian “Pantsir” missile system and a radar station. It has a firing range of up to 50 km, depending on the type of round used.

Army Recognition highlights that by producing NATO-standard howitzers, Ukraine showcases its ability to build a resilient domestic defense industry, even amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war.

The Bohdana is a domestically designed and manufactured self-propelled howitzer mounted on a KrAZ-6322 6×6 truck chassis. The system includes advanced features such as a modern targeting and fire control system, ballistic computer, computerized fire control unit, automatic gun-laying system, and navigation module. A crew of five operates the vehicle, which can achieve speeds of up to 80 km/h with a range of 1,000 km.

Danish model

Back in January 2023, then-Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov stated that his ministry had allocated funds in the spring for manufacturing the indigenous 155mm self-propelled Bohdana howitzer, with the first units produced under this order set to be fielded within months.

By December 2023, the Bohdana production rate reached six per month.

In June, Denmark became the first NATO country to invest in weapon production within Ukraine, as announced by Ukraine’s Defense Ministry.

In July, Denmark confirmed financial support for producing Ukrainian Bohdana self-propelled guns, marking a shift toward direct orders with Ukraine’s defense industry over traditional donations.

In late September, Denmark provided €40.7 million to Ukraine for domestic Bohdana howitzer production. Additionally, the European Union allocated €400 million from frozen Russian assets to bolster Ukraine’s defense industry, including Bohdana howitzer production. Denmark led the initiative, channeling funds to the Ukrainian defense sector as the first EU member to help direct this aid.

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