Russia brings back World War II M-30 122mm howitzers to support ongoing artillery demands in Ukraine.

On April 3, 2025, Kirill Fedorov reported that Russian artillery units are restarting to use the Soviet M-30 model 1938 122mm towed howitzer in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. In 2024, Vodogray already released new footage showing the howitzer in active use, indicating that several units had been brought out of long-term storage. In the footage, the firing position was well-prepared: the gun was dug in, covered with a canopy, and camouflaged with nets. However, the position was reportedly destroyed after two days.
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By 1944, Soviet rifle divisions had up to 36 M-30 howitzers, which were used for indirect fire against personnel and fortifications, for breaching obstacles, and occasionally in direct fire against lightly armored vehicles. (Picture source: Telegram/Kirill Fedorov)

The M-30 howitzer was produced from 1939 to 1955 and is the same age as the D-1 howitzer, which is also in use in the current conflict. It served as the main armament of the first Soviet large-scale self-propelled artillery units during World War II, including the SU-122. The weapon was developed by the design bureau of the Motovilikha Plants under the supervision of F. F. Petrov. It was officially adopted in 1939 and assigned the GRAU index 52-G-463. The M-30 was designed to replace earlier models such as the 122 mm howitzer M1909 and M1910, which had been modernized as the M1909/37 and M1910/30 but still presented operational limitations.

The M-30, also known as the M1938, is a towed field howitzer with a caliber of 121.92 mm, operated by a crew of eight. It has a firing rate of 5–6 rounds per minute and a maximum range of 11.8 kilometers. It uses an interrupted screw breech, a hydro-pneumatic recoil system, and a split trail carriage. Elevation ranges from −3° to +63.5°, with a traverse angle of 49°. The howitzer's combat weight is approximately 2,450 kg, with a travel weight of 3,100 kg. It is capable of being towed at speeds of up to 50 km/h by vehicle and could also be moved by horse teams using a limber.

Mass production of the M-30 began in 1940, initially at Plant No. 92 in Gorky and then primarily at Plant No. 9 in Sverdlovsk. A total of 19,266 units were manufactured between 1939 and 1955, including barrels used in the SU-122 assault gun (M-30S). The howitzer was also produced under license in Poland as the Wz.1938 and in China as the Type 54.

Operationally, the M-30 was assigned to divisional artillery regiments. By 1944, Soviet rifle divisions had up to 36 M-30 howitzers. The weapon was used for indirect fire against personnel and fortifications, for breaching obstacles, and occasionally in direct fire against lightly armored vehicles. High-explosive shells could penetrate armor up to 20 mm thick. In 1943, a high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) shell designated BP-460A was introduced, capable of penetrating up to 160 mm of armor depending on the angle of impact.

Captured M-30s were adopted by the German Wehrmacht as the 12,2 cm s.F.H.396(r) and used on the Eastern Front and in Atlantic Wall fortifications. Germany also began mass production of 122 mm ammunition for these howitzers, with over 1.25 million rounds produced between 1943 and 1945. Finland captured 41 units, designated them 122 H 38, and used them until the mid-1980s. Romania mounted the M-30 on early prototypes of the Mareșal tank destroyer. Post-war, the gun was widely exported and saw combat in multiple conflicts including the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Soviet–Afghan War, and the Arab–Israeli Wars. Some units were captured and retained by Israel.

A total of 19,266 units of the M-30, also known as the M1938, were manufactured between 1939 and 1955, including barrels used in the SU-122 assault gun (M-30S). (Picture source: Telegram/Kirill Fedorov)

The Chinese People's Liberation Army produced the M-30 as the Type 54 and developed several self-propelled variants, such as the Type WZ302 series. Romania also created the M-30M variant in the 1980s, which featured modernized wheels, brakes, and sights. The gun was adapted into several Soviet self-propelled artillery systems, notably the SU-122 and SG-122, and was briefly mounted on German and Romanian armored vehicles during World War II.

As of 2024, the M-30 or its variants remain in service or storage in over 30 countries, including Russia, where an estimated 3,750 units are in reserve. Other operators include Algeria, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Laos, Lebanon, Moldova, Mongolia, Pakistan, Romania, Syria, and Vietnam. Some countries, such as Finland and Hungary, have retired the system, while others continue to use it either in reserve status or for training purposes.

The M-30 can fire a wide range of ammunition types, including high-explosive (HE), high-explosive fragmentation (HE-Frag), HEAT, smoke, illumination, chemical, shrapnel, and propaganda rounds. During World War II and in the decades following, several ammunition types were developed specifically for the M-30, such as the OF-462 HE-Frag shell, which produced up to 1,000 fragments with an effective radius of 30 meters. Later projectiles such as the 3OF24 used improved explosives, increasing lethality. HEAT projectiles like the BP-460A and post-war BP-1 could penetrate up to 200 mm of armor at optimal angles.

The M-30 continues to appear in military museums and public memorials worldwide. Its design influenced the development of later Soviet artillery systems, and its continued use highlights the persistence of older artillery in contemporary conflicts. In August 2024, footage of M-30 use by Russian forces in Ukraine was released. This was followed by confirmation in April 2025 that more units had been redeployed, illustrating a pattern of reactivation from reserve storage.

Army Recognition has previously reported on several instances of Russia deploying outdated, rare, experimental, or prototype military equipment in Ukraine. Among the most notable examples is the use of the Ladoga autonomous armored vehicle, confirmed in March 2024, and the T-80UE-1 main battle tanks, deployed by the 4th Guards Tank Division in April 2024. In the realm of air defense, reports from January 2025 indicated that up to twelve S-500 Prometheus systems were to be positioned to protect the Crimean Bridge, while in July 2024, a rare Tor-M2KM system was identified near Sevastopol and an S-300V system was struck near Mariupol. Experimental systems have also been introduced; in August 2024, the MTS-15 Klever unmanned 122 mm self-propelled howitzer was shown in official footage ahead of planned full-scale deployment. Older systems, such as the modernized T-62M tanks and BTR-90 Rostok infantry fighting vehicles—reportedly transferred from museums—were deployed to the front in mid and late 2024, respectively. Additionally, the VT-72 armored recovery vehicle, a rare model based on the T-72, was observed moving towards the battlefield. These cases illustrate Russia’s pattern of employing both legacy stockpiles and limited-production or prototype platforms in the Ukraine conflict, often in response to sustained losses or for field-testing purposes.