On 23 December 2024 the German government confirmed that 200 Heckler & Koch MG4 5.56x45mm machine guns had been delivered as aid to Ukraine. The MG4s join the 7.62x51mm MG5s which have already been provided, along with a plethora of other HK small arms and light weapons including HK GMGs and a significant number of SFP9 pistols.
The MG4 was developed in the mid-1990s and adopted by the Germany Army in 2005. It is a gas operated light machine gun with an effective range of 600m. It weighs 8.7 kg (19.8lbs) unloaded, has an overall length of 1085mm (42.7in) and feeds from NATO standard disintegrating metal belts.
While the delivery of MG4s was only confirmed in late December the guns appear to have arrived in country earlier with the first sighting of one coming on 3 December 2024. The initial sighting of the weapon was posted on Instagram by a Ukrainian combatant, likely a member of the GUR’s special operations teams. The initial photograph appears to have been taken indoors at a range and the flat dark earth colour across all parts of the weapon – rather than black or RAL8000, appears to indicate a base coat for a custom paint job. The weapon also has an FN Minimi belt box, while an adapter isn’t needed to use a Minimi box or bag, HK offers an adapter which enables more ergonomic mounting on the MG4.
A day later the same combatant posted a video showing him firing the MG4 on the move. From both the video and earlier photograph we can see that the weapon has the Gen 1 pattern fixed length, folding stock and a 17.7″ (450 mm) barrel. The gun is mounted with a Hensoldt RSA-S Reflex Sight on top of a Hensoldt 4x30i magnified optic.
On the 8 December the combatant shared another video, the MG4 is seen with the camouflage paint job completed and equipped with just the Hensoldt RSA-S, conducting training drills at a range.
On the 14 December, Shybenyk.Squad, another GUR team – associated with the Kraken Regiment, shared a photograph of a combatant with an MG4 notably fitted with a rare Thales Xtraim thermal fusion holographic sight and a magnifier. The MG4 is loaded with HK’s proprietary fabric soft ammo pouch. Several days later on 19 December, they shared a group photo taken in Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia. Speaking to a member of Shybenyk.Squad they shared some thoughts on the MG4 stating:
“the weapon is very reliable and highly accurate, it can withstand the heavy load of endless enemy assaults, requiring only periodic lubrication. The disadvantages include insufficient ergonomics and weight, with which it is difficult to control during assault actions.”
They went on to explain that they received spare barrels and spare parts for the weapon.
On the 20 December, MTAC, a Ukrainian military clothing and gear manufacturer, shared a photograph of the combatant with the MG4 – showcasing some MTAC products. The Hensoldt RSA-S reflex sight can again be seen.
On the 22 December, a member of the Delta Knights, an element of the GUR’s International Legion, posted a series of photos featuring an MG4. In the first he poses with a recently donated axe and in the second he showed his unit’s MG5 alongside the new MG4. In these photographs the gun is clearly unpainted and has a factory RAL8000 finish but has a black heat shield – this is seen on other examples too. It also has the same Gen 1 pattern fixed length, folding stock as seen on the earlier seen MG4. When asked what they thought of it Delta Knights simply replied “we love it so far”.
The most recent MG4 sightings, at the time of writing , appeared on 10 January 2025, when the Artan Special Unit, also affiliated with the GUR, shared a photograph of a combatant holding one of the machine guns, again with a RAL8000 finnish and mounted with a 4x30i Hensoldt optic with which it is likely the guns shipped with.
From the limited number of sightings of the weapons so far it appears that the MG4s have been predominantly issued to GUR teams including Delta Knights and Artan. With 200 guns delivered we will likely see MG4s appearing in imagery more often over the coming months.
Thank you to Matthias and DEaidUA for their invaluable help with this article/video. Thank you also to shybenyk.squad for sharing their thoughts on the MG4.
Update – 11/2/25: The GUR’s Artan Unit shared a team photo featuring an MG4 on 6 February.
Support Us: If you enjoyed this video and article please consider supporting our work here. We have some great perks available for Patreon Supporters – including early access to custom stickers and early access to videos! You can also find us on the History of Weapons & War app. Thank you for your support!
The Armourers Bench 