Russia Faces Its Own Soviet-Era Firepower as Ukraine Turns KS-19 Anti-Aircraft Guns Against Its Troops

Ukrainian border guards from the Pomsta Brigade are using Soviet-era KS-19 anti-aircraft guns to support infantry units in the Lyman direction, where Russian forces continue attempting to identify weaknesses in Ukrainian defensive positions.

On November 8, the brigade’s Unit-A released footage showing its artillery crews operating the 100mm KS-19 gun against Russian positions.

According to the unit, the crews respond to requests for fire support from Ukrainian infantry. The footage shows soldiers receiving a fire mission and firing heavy shells toward Russian positions.

Originally developed in the mid-20th century, the KS-19 was designed to protect military installations, infrastructure, and logistical routes from aerial threats. Although largely obsolete in its original anti-aircraft role, the weapon has since been repurposed by Ukrainian forces to engage ground targets, including enemy positions and lightly armored vehicles.

To overcome the gun’s limited mobility, some Ukrainian units have converted the KS-19 into a self-propelled artillery system, allowing crews to reposition more quickly and reduce their exposure to enemy fire.

First introduced in 1947, the KS-19 remained in Ukrainian storage for decades, with nearly 200 units reportedly held in Balakliia, in the Kharkiv region, before Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The town came under Russian occupation during the early stages of the invasion, but Russian forces largely left the stored weapons unused, reportedly employing some as decoys. Following Balakliia’s liberation, Ukrainian troops recovered most of the guns, allowing them to be returned to service in a new role.

Meanwhile, Russia has suffered substantial losses of its own specialized artillery systems, including heavy thermobaric rocket launchers, during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

According to Ukrainian defense outlet Defense Express, which cited Ukrainian General Staff figures as of November 3, Russian forces have lost 138 systems from the TOS family, including the TOS-1A Solntsepyok, TOS-2 Tosochka, and TOS-3 Drakon.

The reported losses exceed estimates of Russia’s entire pre-invasion inventory of these weapons. Despite their vulnerability to Ukrainian drone strikes, Moscow continues manufacturing thermobaric rocket launcher systems and developing new variants.

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