On April 22, 2025, the Telegram channel "Management Z" reported a significant find by Kursk border guards in the Sudzhansky district of the Kursk region. During the raid in the city of Sudzha, ammunition, weapons and military equipment belonging to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) were found. Among the discovered items were a destroyed 152-mm self-propelled artillery unit (SAU) "Akatsiya", more than 160 artillery shells of 152 mm caliber, one 155-mm shell of foreign manufacture and 100 artillery shells of 122 mm caliber, also of foreign origin. The find highlights the ongoing tensions in the border regions of Russia amid the conflict with Ukraine.

According to the Russian FSB Border Service, the raids were carried out as part of enhanced control of the border area, which has been repeatedly subjected to shelling and drone attacks from Ukraine since the summer of 2024. The Sudzhansky district, located near the border, has become one of the key areas where attempts by sabotage groups to penetrate and military equipment have been recorded. The discovered Akatsiya self-propelled howitzer is a Soviet development, adopted into service in 1971, and widely used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. It is designed to destroy enemy manpower, artillery batteries, and fortifications at a distance of up to 18,5 km (or up to 24 km with active-reactive projectiles). According to reports, the installation was disabled, possibly as a result of a Russian strike or a technical malfunction.

The ammunition found is of particular interest. More than 160 152mm shells were likely intended for the Akatsiya and could have included high-explosive, cumulative or guided projectiles. A single 155mm shell of foreign manufacture indicates that Ukraine is using NATO-standard artillery supplied by Western allies. Such shells are compatible with howitzers such as the M777 (US) or FH70 (Europe) and have a range of up to 30 km. One hundred 122mm artillery shells, also of foreign manufacture, were likely intended for the D-30 howitzers or Gvozdika self-propelled guns, which remain in service with the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Their origin may be linked to supplies from Eastern European countries such as Poland or the Czech Republic, which previously provided Ukraine with Soviet weapons.

The discovery of such an arsenal indicates attempts by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to organize ammunition depots near the border, possibly to prepare for offensive operations or sabotage. The Kursk region, especially the Sudzhansky and Rylsky districts, have been repeatedly mentioned in reports as combat zones since August 2024. At that time, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian forces repelled the offensive of Ukrainian troops, destroying a significant amount of equipment and manpower. The ammunition and equipment found by border guards may be remnants of those battles or part of new logistics chains of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.