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Russia’s First D-74 Howitzer Loss Confirmed—A 1950s “Museum Piece” Back on the Battlefield
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
The open-source intelligence project Oryx has visually confirmed the first recorded loss of a Russian D-74 122mm howitzer, a rare artillery system dating back to the 1950s.
This marks the first time a D-74 loss in Russian service has been documented, highlighting Moscow’s use of older artillery amid ongoing operations.
The D-74, first produced in the early 1950s, was largely exported rather than retained domestically. It saw active service in countries such as Vietnam and other Soviet-aligned nations, while remaining relatively uncommon in Russian arsenals. The exact number of D-74s currently in Russian hands is unknown, though it is believed to be fewer than other artillery types.
Historically, the D-74 was considered a modern system for its era, capable of delivering precise 122mm shells over considerable distances. By the 1970s, most D-74s had been phased out of Soviet service, replaced with newer artillery systems.
Despite this, Russia has reportedly redeployed these legacy guns since at least the fall of last year, likely due to material shortages and the high demand for artillery.
Military experts state that the “museum exhibit” D-74 may have been imported from North Korea, a country known to stockpile this model of artillery still.
Retired US Marine Corps Lt. Col. Michael Purcell pointed out that the supply of these weapons—or at least the ammunition—is likely part of a broader cooperation between Russia and North Korea as Moscow struggles with both material and manpower.
Jennifer Kavanagh, a senior military analyst at Defense Priorities, suggested that Russia’s public use of such outdated weapons could be a strategic move to show its ability to continue fighting despite Western sanctions.
According to Militarnyi, Russia has also been recently documented using North Korean OF-472 shells and charges, which are replicas of Soviet models.
Earlier, Ukrainian troops destroyed a rare 140-mm mortar supplied by North Korea to Russia.
