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Ukraine’s Marines Turn Russian 2S3 Akatsiya Into Scrap With Suicide Drone Attack, Video
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Ukrainian drone operators recently struck and destroyed a Soviet-era Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system and an armored combat vehicle. The operation was carried out by the Corsair Battalion of the 38th Separate Marine Brigade and was captured on video, which the unit published on May 1.
“Our unmanned systems continue systematically clearing Ukrainian land of Russian scrap metal,” the brigade stated. “We are the eyes in the sky watching the enemy—turning them to ash, effectively and efficiently.”
As with other recent successes, the strike followed a two-step method: aerial reconnaissance first located the targets, after which first-person view (FPV) suicide drones delivered precision blows to disable them.
One of the destroyed assets, the 2S3 Akatsiya, is a tracked, self-propelled 152mm howitzer that played a central role in Soviet and later Russian artillery units.
Designed in the late 1960s and introduced into service in the early 1970s, it was built for long-range fire support and capable of targeting enemy artillery, armor, and fortified positions at ranges of up to 24 kilometers with rocket-assisted shells.
The Akatsiya carries a crew of four and is protected by steel armor against small arms fire and shrapnel.
Nowadays, the Akatsiya remains in widespread use across Russia’s armed forces.
The second vehicle hit in the same strike was a Russian armored fighting vehicle, though no specific model was identified.
Earlier, reports emerged that Russia suffered its most devastating monthly losses in artillery and military transport since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with Ukrainian forces destroying 1,644 artillery systems and 3,545 military vehicles in March alone.
-21d0b63c17f6020e4df75f6c6f9a2f4f.jpg "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
