Ukraine Gets Artillery Gift From Mystery Country

Time to channel your inner Sherlock Holmes, friends.

Thanks to Hans Tino Hansen on X, we know that a small surprise has been quietly added to Denmark’s list of military equipment donated to Ukraine.

It appears that Denmark has supplied Ukraine with an undisclosed number of 2S1 Gvozdika 122mm self-propelled howitzers.

But… the origin of these Soviet-era artillery pieces remains shrouded in mystery.

Why?

Denmark never operated these howitzers, leading to speculation about their source.

Given that the 2S1 Gvozdika has been used by over 30 countries, pinpointing their exact origin is challenging. Some observers speculate that Denmark may have acquired these howitzers from former Warsaw Pact countries or other nations that had them in surplus. However, without official confirmation, the true source remains speculative.

There’s also the question of why transfer them to Denmark to give to Ukraine, and not give them directly.

So, let’s unpack this.

First, who is the mystery country?

Well, we know the 2S1 is, or was, operated by the following nations:

Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cuba, Croatia, Czechia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, Georgia, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Libya, Poland, South Ossetia, Serbia, Slovakia, Syria, Russia, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, and Zimbabwe.

Denmark maintains diplomatic relations with all these countries, however, the depth and nature of these relationships vary.

Here’s my top four educated guesses.