ArmyTV published a brief report in one of its streams, focusing on the combat operations of one of the BM-27 "Uragan" multiple launch rocket systems belonging to the 40th Artillery Brigade.
The mere mention of this MLRS in public sources, which is quite rare, raises questions about where our country could theoretically source the scarce 220mm shells for the "Uragans," as well as which other countries possess these rocket systems.
The aforementioned report is particularly valuable due to video clips showing our BM-27 "Uragan" firing at various targets of Russian occupiers, and it also notes that this specific MLRS even destroyed one of the enemy's command posts, along with mentions of the everyday aspects of the crew's combat operations.
Returning to the issue of the scarcity of 220mm rocket shells for Soviet BM-27 "Uragan" systems, it is worth emphasizing that the Russian army also faces challenges with ammunition supplies for such MLRS.
To begin with, let's highlight a quantitative paradox: according to data from The Military Balance 2024, at the start of last year, the enemy army had a total of 220 BM-27 "Uragan" systems in service and as many as 550 units in storage. It seems that the low rate of decommissioning the Russian "Uragans" from storage is directly related to the level of scarcity of 220mm rocket shells for these systems.
We can rely on publicly available data showing that in 2023, the Russian military-industrial complex managed to produce only 2,800 rocket shells for the "Uragans," while the plan for 2024 was as high as 14,000 shells for these MLRS. Additionally, it is noteworthy that the Russian Armed Forces has a certain number (up to 10 units) of upgraded "Uragan-1M" systems, whose main feature is their dual-caliber capability, meaning they can use either 220mm or 300mm rocket shells.
Looking at data from other countries operating the BM-27 "Uragan," the picture appears as follows:
- Turkmenistan – 60 units;
- Uzbekistan – 48 units;
- Belarus – 36 units;
- Moldova – 11 units;
- Eritrea – nine units;
- Kyrgyzstan – six units;
- Angola and Guinea – three units each.
Theoretically, from this list, we can exclude Belarus, the Central Asian countries, and Eritrea as nations loyal to the Kremlin. However, even considering this, it appears that sources for external supplies of 220mm rocket shells for the BM-27 "Uragan" could be incredibly exotic and located in the most unexpected corners of the globe. Or they could be literally nearby, in the neighborhood.
