Poland to launch production of Ukraine's Bohdana 155mm howitzers to supply NATO Eastern Flank.

The Polish-Ukrainian joint venture PK Mil SA will soon begin the production of the Ukrainian Bohdana 155 mm self-propelled howitzer in Poland.

A Polish-Ukrainian joint venture between Ponar Wadowice and the Kramatorsk Heavy Machine Tool Plant, PK MIL SA, will begin the production of the Bohdana 155 mm self-propelled howitzer in Poland. The manufacturing is led by Ponar Wadowice with majority ownership and aims to supply Poland, Ukraine, and NATO eastern flank countries with combat-proven NATO-standard 155 mm artillery systems. Manufacturing in Poland will also allow international export without wartime production restrictions.
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The start of production in Poland through PK MIL SA will represent the first foreign manufacturing arrangement for the Bohdana self-propelled howitzer outside Ukraine. (Picture source: Ukrainian 44th Artillery Brigade)

On March 5, 2026, Business Insider Poland announced that the Polish-Ukrainian joint venture PK Mil SA, created by Ponar Wadowice and the Kramatorsk Heavy Machine Tool Plant, will begin the production of Bohdana 155 mm self-propelled howitzer in Poland. Ponar Wadowice holds 51% of the company’s shares, giving it majority control over the enterprise established in October 2025 to organize manufacturing cooperation between the two defense industries. According to company representatives, PK Mil SA is completing regulatory and industrial preparations required before beginning production activities on Polish territory.

The project aims to supply both the Polish armed forces and foreign customers, particularly countries on NATO’s eastern flank seeking 155 mm artillery systems compatible with alliance standards. Poland currently operates the wheeled 152 mm Dana howitzer inherited from Soviet-era designs, and the planned replacement under the Kryl program has been suspended, leaving a potential requirement for a modern wheeled artillery system. Manufacturing inside Poland also removes export restrictions linked to wartime production inside Ukraine, allowing the Bohdana to be offered to international buyers. Ponar Wadowice is expected to manufacture key components and integrate hydraulic systems, drawing on its experience with the Krab howitzer and the Borsuk infantry fighting vehicle. 

The 2S22 Bohdana is a wheeled self-propelled howitzer developed in Ukraine to fire NATO-standard 155 mm ammunition instead of Soviet 152 mm shells. The howitzer weighs 28 tonnes and operates with a crew of five inside an armored cabin designed to protect against 7.62 mm armor-piercing rounds and shell fragments. A diesel engine delivering 380 to 420 hp allows road speeds up to 80 km/h, with a road operating range of 800 km and an off-road range of 300 km. The artillery piece is a 155 mm L/52 howitzer capable of firing at a rate of 5 rounds per minute, with onboard storage for 20 shells and propellant charges. Maximum firing distance reaches 42 km with conventional high-explosive shells and up to 60 km with rocket-assisted projectiles.

Compatible ammunition includes NATO-standard rounds such as M107 high-explosive shells, M795 projectiles, M549A1 rocket-assisted rounds, BONUS top-attack submunition shells, and M982 Excalibur GPS-guided projectiles. The development of the Bohdana began in 2016 as part of Ukraine’s transition toward NATO-standard artillery calibers following operational challenges identified during the fighting in eastern Ukraine after 2014. The first prototype, the Bohdana 1.0, was constructed in early 2018 on a KrAZ-6322 6×6 truck chassis and began firing trials on August 7, 2018. It was then publicly displayed during the Ukrainian Independence Day parade on August 24, 2018. State trials started in December 2019 and continued through 2021, while improvements were introduced to resolve recoil issues and integrate a modified muzzle brake.

During firing trials conducted between December 2021 and January 2022, the Bohdana 1.0, valued close to $2.5 million, fired 450 rounds and achieved a firing distance of 42 km. Development difficulties included temporary suspension of program funding, legal disputes between the manufacturer and government authorities, and shortages of 155 mm ammunition during early testing phases. At the beginning of the large-scale invasion by Russia in February 2022, the only existing prototype was ordered to be destroyed to prevent its capture by Russian forces advancing toward Kyiv. Instead, the Bohdana 1.0 was dismantled, evacuated to the rear, and later reassembled before being deployed in combat. The howitzer then took part in operations against Russian forces on Snake Island during June 2022, firing from positions on the Ukrainian mainland at targets located about 35 km away.

Artillery strikes from the Bohdana howitzer, combined with other fires, contributed to Russian forces withdrawing from the island on June 30, 2022. Additional combat use occurred later in the war in regions including Kherson and Bakhmut after pre-production units were assembled. The Ukrainian armed forces officially adopted the Bohdana on July 21, 2023, following its initial and successful operational deployment. For the Kramatorsk Heavy Machine Tool Building Plant, often abbreviated KZVV, the Bohdana's serial production began in 2023 and expanded during the following years as Ukraine increased domestic artillery output. Early production rates reached six systems per month in 2023, before rising to between 10 and 20 systems monthly during 2024.

Ukraine's defense industry manufactured 154 artillery systems during 2024, with Bohdanas forming a large share of this output. Production capacity later reached levels estimated at up to 40 units per month. Several figures appear regarding the total number built, including estimates exceeding 600 units produced since 2023 and other calculations indicating 598 systems manufactured, with 55 confirmed losses, leaving 543 units in Ukrainian service. According to some reports, the Bohdana variants collectively fired more than 800,000 rounds during combat operations.

The Bohdana family has evolved through several production variants mounted on different truck chassis as supply conditions and operational requirements changed. The initial prototype, known as Bohdana 1.0, used a KrAZ-6322 6x6 chassis, while the first serial production variant, known as Bohdana 2.0, appeared on a MAZ-6317 6×6 chassis with an unit cost estimated between $2.5 and $2.7 million. A later version, known as Bohdana 3.0, adopted the Czech Tatra 815-7 8×8 truck chassis with an armored cabin and improved fire-control systems, for an estimated value of $2.6 to $2.8 million.

The Bohdana 4.0, for its part, uses the more widely used Tatra Phoenix 8×8 chassis and integrates a semi-automatic loading system and domestically produced armored cab, resulting in a cost of $2.7 to $3 million. A newer Bohdana 5.0 variant incorporates a Tatra Force 8×8 chassis, a Ukrainian armored cabin, a mechanical loading arm positioned behind the cab, and a manually deployed anti-drone net protecting the breech area during reloading, resulting in an estimated cost of $2.8 to $3 million. Plans also exist for a future Bohdana 6.0 version using Germany's MAN or Mercedes-Benz Zetros chassis, with 200 systems financed by Germany for delivery to the Ukrainian Ground Forces in 2026.

A towed artillery version, the Bohdana-B, also known as 2P22 Bohdana or Bohdana-BG, was also introduced to increase the number of NATO-standard 155 mm guns without requiring additional heavy truck chassis. Development of this variant became visible in late 2023, and the Ukrainian towed howitzer was first publicly shown in October 2024, mounted on a modified carriage from the Soviet 2A36 Giatsint-B 152 mm howitzer. The first operational images appeared on March 24, 2025, showing the system used by the 47th Artillery Brigade during training activities. The towed variant uses the same 155 mm L/52 barrel as the self-propelled version but is operated manually and towed by trucks such as the Daewoo Novus. The system provides lower mobility compared with wheeled self-propelled versions but increases the number of artillery pieces available, thanks to an estimated cost between $1.5 million and $2 million per unit, while reducing dependence on large 8×8 truck chassis.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.