On the morning of February 25, at around 8:00 AM (local time), an explosion occurred at a training ground in Slovakia during the testing of the Zuzana 2 self-propelled artillery system.
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The incident took place at the training ground of the Technical-Military Institute and Testing Center in Zahirya.
According to local police, two people were injured in the explosion.
Slovak Defense Minister Robert Kalynjak stated that both injured individuals were conscious and in “stable” condition. One of them, with minor injuries, was taken to Bora Hospital, while the other, who sustained more serious injuries, is hospitalized in Kramary.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the incident. “At this time, it is impossible to determine exactly what caused the emergency, whether it was defects in gunpowder, ammunition, or the equipment itself,” Kalynjak stated.
Unofficial reports suggest that the explosion occurred inside military equipment, possibly a Zuzana 2 howitzer, which caught fire following the detonation. Police confirmed that they received notification of the incident around 9:00 AM and dispatched patrol units and emergency services to the scene.
It is speculated that the tested artillery system may have been intended for Ukraine. In 2023, Ukraine signed a contract with Slovakia for the production of 155mm Zuzana 2 self-propelled artillery systems.
The wheeled self-propelled howitzer Zuzana 2 is manufactured by the Slovak company ZTS Special. It is an upgraded version of the previous 155mm Zuzana model, which, in turn, is derived from the Czechoslovak SHkH vz.77 DANA 152mm self-propelled howitzer.
Sources: Police SR – Bratislavský kraj / mil.in.ua. Photo: flickr. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
