2S22 Bohdana

The 2S22 Bohdana is a 155 mm NATO-standard caliber, wheeled self-propelled howitzer developed in Ukraine. Its prototype is mounted on the chassis of the Ukrainian six-wheel-drive KrAZ-6322 truck. It has an armoured cabin and storage for 20 shells. The howitzer has an effective range of with conventional shells and with rocket-assisted projectiles according to the manufacturer manuals. It can fire several types of shells including the extended-range M982 Excalibur at a rate of five rounds per minute.

Background

In the early 2010s, the Tasko Corporation presented a proof of concept for a wheeled 155 mm howitzer destined for domestic and export markets. The Tasko prototype consisted of a 155 mm L/45 or 155 mm L/52 caliber barrel with a muzzle brake mounted on a KrAZ-6322 6×6 chassis powered by a V-8 turbocharged diesel engine developing at 3,000 rpm. According to Tasko, the 155 mm L/45 caliber version had a range of while the 155 mm L/52 caliber version had a range of , presumably using High Explosive Base Bleed (HE-BB) shells.

The prototype had a crew of six and carried 16 155 mm projectiles and propellant charges. The system could be taken in and out of action in one minute and was also capable of quick-firing three rounds in 15 seconds. While the chassis lacked an armoured cab, it did include a central tire pressure regulation system, allowing the driver to adjust the pressure of the tires to better suit the terrain being crossed.

According to Roblin, the development of the Bohdana, which could be traced back to a proposed truck-mounted design back in 2009, would only begin in 2016. During the War in Donbas, Ukraine only had a handful of long-ranged self-propelled howitzers capable of shoot and scoot to avoid Russian counter-battery fire, like the 2S19 Msta-S (around 35 pre-war), and the older 2S5 Giatsint-S and 2S7 Pion (13 and 18 in service before the war, respectively), underscoring the need for more and better artillery systems.

Ukraine's supply of Soviet-standard 152 mm shells also proved problematic as the primary producer is Russia. The choice of a NATO-standard caliber was made on the assumption that 155 mm shells could be procured from more sympathetic countries.

Development

The howitzer underwent live fire tests in 2018, while its first public display was in the Kyiv Independence Day Parade on 24 August 2018. Development was nearly halted in 2020 due difficulties obtaining 155 mm shells at the time, legal disputes between the government and manufacturer, temporary cancellation of the program funding, and excessive recoil that would be eventually solved with the introduction of an improved muzzle brake.

Another round of test firings were conducted at the Shyrokyi Lan training ground in May 2021. Further test firings were carried out at a range in Odesa Oblast in December 2021 and January 2022, where 450 shots were fired at a range of 42 km, greater than the manufacturer's specification of .

Production

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said at the beginning of 2023 that serial mass production of an improved Bohdana had started. With Ukraine unable to import additional MAZ-6317 chassis from Russia-aligned Belarus, and the original KrAZ-6332 chassis largely dependent on a Russian-made engine, Reznikov suggested that they could be replaced with a six-wheeled KrAZ or MAN chassis or a eight-wheeled Tatra. Production Bohdanas initially used a Tatra 815-7 8×8 truck chassis fitted with an armoured cab. ''Militarnyi'' reported that the Tatras had likely been bought to be used as chassis for the Burevyi multiple rocket launcher, which ran out of ammunition during the first year of the Russian invasion. As of 2025, production Bohdanas use a Tatra Phoenix 8×8 chassis instead.

In December 2023, it was reported by ''Eсonomichna Pravda'' that the Ukrainian Ground Forces had already received around 30 Bohdanas, and that a towed version was under development. Early production versions of the Bohdana lacked some features such as autoloaders and ballistic radars, which were eventually incorporated into the newest models.

With support from the European Union, the production rate of the Bohdana increased from six per month in 2023 to more than 20 by 2025. According to Arsen Zhumadilov, director of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's defense procurement agency, more than 85% of the components of the Bohdana are produced locally, and by the end of 2025 it's expected that this proportion will increase to 95%. In July 2024, Denmark placed an order for 18 Bohdanas and in September of the same year, they were handed over to the Ukrainian Armed Forces according to the Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen. According to ''Nordjyske'' frozen Russian assets were used to finance the 1.3 billion kroner order.

On 3 October 2024, a prototype of a towed Bohdana, mounted on the carriage of a 2A36 Giatsint-B, was seen for the first time. On 24 March 2025, the press service of the 47th Separate Artillery Brigade released photos showing crews deploying and firing the towed howitzer.

Ukraine manufactured a total of 154 artillery systems in 2024, according to President Zelenskyy. While he did not specify exact types, military analysts suggest that the 2S22 Bohdana is probably included.

Variants

*Bohdana/Bohdana 1.0
Original production version. Mounted on a KrAZ-63221 6×6 truck chassis
*Bohdana 2.0
Mounted on a MAZ chassis. Improved variant with redesigned armored cabin and other improvements including the ability to fire American Excalibur shells.
*Bohdana 3.0
Mounted on a Tatra 815-7 chassis, equipped with a Czech Puma armored cabin.
*Bohdana 4.0
Latest production version, mounted on a Tatra 158 Phoenix 8×8 chassis, equipped with an armored cabin designed by the local company Ukrarmor and featuring a semi-automatic loading system.
* 2P22 Bohdana
A family of towed howitzers using the same barrel as the 2S22.

Operational history

On 25 February 2022, at the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Bohdana's manufacturers were ordered to destroy the sole prototype, to prevent the Russians from capturing it. However, it was able to be moved away from the Russians and handed to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. On 7 May 2022 ''Forbes'' reported that the prototype had been deployed at the front and was firing at Russian targets.

In June 2022, Ukrainian forces on the mainland of Ukraine reportedly used the 2S22 Bohdana to shell Russian forces on Snake Island, which is from the mainland. This along with strikes from other artillery systems as well as drones led to the withdrawal of Russian forces from the island on 30 June.

The 2S22 Bohdana was officially adopted by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on 21 July 2023. In the meantime, the Kramatorsk factory managed to assemble two pre-production Bohdanas (mounted on the MAZ-6317 chassis) for the 57th Motorized Brigade. These would see action in the Kherson and Bakhmut regions. Some National Guard and National Police units such as the 18th Sloviansk Brigade and the Liut Brigade are also equipped with Bohdanas.

According to the ''Oryx'' blog, 23 Bohdanas were visually confirmed as destroyed or damaged as of 26 April 2025.

See also

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* – 122 mm or 155 mm self-propelled howitzer
*RCH 155 - German 155 mm self-propelled howitzer
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References

Bibliography

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Wheeled self-propelled howitzers
155 mm artillery
Self-propelled howitzers of Ukraine
Military vehicles introduced in the 2010s
Six-wheeled vehicles