2S3 Akatsiya

The 152 mm half of the Soviet self-propelled artillery pair still fighting on both sides of this war. It outranges and outweighs the Gvozdika, it is second only to the Msta-S in Russian self-propelled artillery losses, and the characteristic engagement now is a drone killing it before it fires a round.

Overview

The 2S3 Akatsiya ("Acacia"), designated M1973 by NATO, is a Soviet 152 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer that entered service in 1971 as the heavier partner to the 122 mm 2S1 Gvozdika. Where the Gvozdika was divisional artillery on a light amphibious chassis, the Akatsiya was army-level fire support: about 18.5 km range with standard high-explosive rounds (24 km rocket-assisted), about 3 rounds per minute sustained, 27,500 kg, and about 40 rounds carried.

Like the Gvozdika, it is fielded by both Russia and Ukraine — a fact that makes both systems awkward to report on, since destroyed vehicles in gun-camera footage are routinely misidentified by the side that killed them. It is also one of the most heavily lost Russian artillery systems of the war: 197 visually confirmed losses by September 2026 in Oryx's count, against 189 for the Gvozdika and 273 for the Msta-S.

The 152 mm calibre is what keeps it relevant. Against the fortified positions that dominate the fighting in Donetsk Oblast, 152 mm does work that 122 mm does not, and it is a calibre Russia produces in volume.

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