Tag: Military History

Russian Company Develops Polymer PK Belts

In previous videos we’ve looked at Ukrainian efforts to manufacture polymer belts for PK-pattern general purpose machine guns. These were developed by Ukrainian company RAROG who has been selling them since the summer of 2022. Now PUFGUN, a Russian company has also developed a polymer PK belt.

Traditionally, the 7.62x54mmR belts used by the PK series of guns have been made from metal and are non-disintegrating, meaning they remain linked together after they’ve been used, while NATO machine guns tend to use disintegrating belts that fall apart once the rounds held in them have been fired.

On 3 September, PUFGUN announced the introduction of the new disintegrating belts, explaining some of their features:

“The tape is made of high-strength polymer – a light and durable material. 3 times lighter than metal analogues. The total weight of the package for 100 links is 220g
Due to the physical properties of the polymer, the loading of the PUFGUN loose belt is carried out faster than that of a metal belt.
Maintains functionality in temperature conditions from -40C to +70C.
Not subject to corrosion, does not require special conditions for long-term storage.”

Packs of 100 links are being sold for 548 Rubles or $5.75 on PUFGUN’s website.

PUFGUN shared a pair of photos, on 10 September, comparing the weight of a loaded traditional metal belt with one of their non-disintegrating belts, with the metal belt weighing 2.8kgs while the polymer belt weighed in at 2.37kgs. In the caption they claim that the photos were taken by Russian special forces unit Grom. OSN “Thunder”, who they state has been testing the belts since late August. The post claims Grom’s first impression was ‘quite good’. The post on PUFGUN’s telegram has since been deleted.

On 14 September a video showcasing the belts was posted by Mikha Mikhalych, a Russian gun content-creator, reviewing the belts. In the video two types of belt are featured; the disintegrating belt and a non-disintegrating one. The video also features a polymer belt box developed by PUFGUN, which is said to weigh around 150g. Combining the box with the polymer belts appears to be a meaningful push towards reducing the weight of the PK’s ammunition carriage system.

On 26 September, PUFGUN announced the non-disintegrating polymer belts on their social media. These belts share the same technical specifications as the disintegrating belts but notable are made from a clear plastic rather than a black plastic. While these have previously appeared in the earlier video they are not, at the time of publication, available for purchase on the company’s site. It appears that the links will be sold in packs of 100, with a starter tab and four disintegrating connector links which allows 25-round belts to be linked together.

On 9 October, PUFGUN shared a short clip showing their non-disintegrating belt being loaded by an Rakov belt-filling machine. This video was made in collaboration with ‘Granit’, a Russian living history group which appears to have links to the Russian military. Granit also shared their own longer video showing the belts being used in a variety of old and new Russian machine guns ranging from a vintage SG-43 to the latest PK variant the 6P41M.

Much like the Ukrainian KS-122 polymer belts from RAROG, the PUFGUN belts do significantly reduce the weight on the gun itself and more broadly for transporting ready ammunition. PUFGUN have sought to address the need for both disintegrating belts, useful for troops on the move that don’t want to be encumbered by trailing empty belts, while the non-disintegrating belts are more easily reloaded and better suited to use in vehicles or static positions. It’s interesting to see both sides commercially developing polymer belts to address a perceived need shared by both sides.

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RPG-FPV – Rocket Launcher Drones in Ukraine

In a recent video/article I mentioned that the Ukraine-aligned Georgian Legion had mounted an RPG-7 on an drone and successfully tested it. Several days later video of another drone equipped with disposable RPG was shared. Posted on 10 September it shows a Queen Hornet FPV equipped with an RPG-18 anti-armour weapon. The drone is seen taking off at a range and hovering. The short clip does not show the RPG-18 being fired.

This isn’t the first time a drone with a disposable RPG mounted on it has been seen in Ukraine. In January 2023, a photograph surfaced of a heavy-lift DJI Agras T-30 armed with a gimbal mounted PK-pattern machine gun and a Bulgarian Bullspike anti-armour weapon. The photo has since been shared regularly but with no further context. One post claimed it was associated with a GUR unit (Solnyshko DRB).

Still showing Bulava’s RPG-FPV (via Wild Hornets)

On 13 September, the Wild Hornets (a Ukrainian drone manufacturing organisation) shared a video of another RPG-FPV. The 56 second video, soundtracked by music from Terminator 2, showed a Queen Hornet drone equipped with what appears to be a Bulgarian Bullspike-AT. The efforts to develop an RPG-FPV based on the Queen Hornet appear to be lead by the Bulava drone team, part of the 3rd battalion of the Separate Presidential Brigade. The Bullspike-AT is produced by VMZ and fired a PG-22 pattern warhead, it has an effective range of 500m and can penetrate up to 400mm of armour. It weighs in at around 3.4kg, which is well within the Queen Hornet’s 9.5kg (21lbs) payload. The video shows the RPG-FPV take off and fire at a target down range. The drone can be seen pitching down to aim and then returning level before landing. This appears to have been a test of the assembly of the system to confirm the concept. In the photographs at the beginning of the video it appears that the weapon is fired by a servo arm which depresses the weapon’s trigger.

The Bulava RPG-FPV was again briefly seen in a fundraising video shared by the unit on 15 September. A close-up of the drone shows an RPG being attached to the drone with a zip-tie and the servo arm trigger mechanism is again visible.

On the 17 September, Wild Hornets shared another short video from the Bulava team, claiming that the team had been working on ‘calibrating the drone grenade launcher’ leading to the ‘shots [becoming] more accurate.’

RPG-FPVs are something that Russia has also begun developing with one showcased at the recent ARMY 2024 defence exposition. The drone appears to consist of a ‘Gortensia’ quadcopter armed with an RPG-26 anti-armour weapon. The drones was developed by Гортензия (Gortensia) and has a range of 10km and a payload of up to 6kg. On an info sheet shared at ARMY 2024 the company claims they are developing a system that allows the drone to jettison the empty RPG tube once it has fired. Images from ARMY 2024 show a dovetail-type attachment with a cradle attached to the RPG’s tube. On 18 August, the company shared two videos of test launches of the RPG-armed Gortensia drone. The videos show the drone take off and then the drone pitches down to aim and then fires. On firing the RPG’s tube detaches from the drone, seemingly using the weapon’s recoil to jettison it. In the second video, the drone travels further down range and fires on the target at a flatter trajectory, again the tube detaches from the drone.

‘Gortensia’ quadcopter with an RPG-26 (via social media)

In mid-September Russian government organisation People’s Front shared a short video showing a octocopter armed with an RPG-22 being tested at the range. The RPG-22 is mounted on its side The long body of the extended RPG-22 body, at 850mm long, seems to somewhat impact the balance of the drone. Despite this the test fire appears to be successful, it’s unclear if this is a development by a drone company or a Russian unit.

While the RPG-FPV has more firepower than the gun-armed drones which have begun to emerge they are still a concept in development. The major positive of the RPG-FPV is the use of an anti-armour weapon which means that the drones aren’t a part of the munition, as in the case of the kamikaze/one-way FPVs, and can be reused. Similarly, the firing of the RPG’s warhead means the drone does not have to be directly over its target as with a bomber drone. This means the RPG-FPV can engage at stand-off distance and has increased survivability. The difficulty, as we’ve seen with the gun-armed drones, is aiming the launcher accurately. It’s still unclear if the drone operators are using the FPV’s primary camera to aim the weapon, this would mean the aiming process might be impacted by latency, the lack of a reticle and poor feed quality. One way to increase hit probability might be to mount the RPG vertically as Nammo did in their tests of an M72-armed drone back in late 2021. The technology and doctrine for RPG-FPVs is still developing so it will be interesting to see how these drones evolve and are employed tactically.

Update 22/9/24:

A video of an RPG-FPV, developed by an unspecified manufacturer, was shared by MASH with the caption (machine translated):

“Meet the new product in the SVO zone – the flying RPG-26. The drone has already passed tests and will soon delight the military on the front lines.

According to our information, the request for the device came from the Ugledar direction, since ours went on the offensive. The first batch of fighters is preparing for flights.

Features: stabilization mode, which does not throw the drone back after firing. On the contrary, the drone returns to the base to replace the grenade launcher. It is equipped with an RPG-26 with armor penetration of 440 mm (and the prospect of installing a “Shmel” flamethrower). It carries up to 12 kg, rises to 800 meters, flies 30 km at a speed of up to 60 km / h. The miracle costs about 600 thousand rubles, the footage shows winter tests.”

Update – 14/1024: A Wall Street Journal article (by Isabel Coles) featured photographs of one of the Ukrainian RPG-FPVs pictured during assembly and range testing.

Update – 8/11/24: An ArmyInform video looking at the Bulava RPG-FPV. It appears to show the same test launch featured in earlier videos.

Update – 29/12/24: A Russia RPG-FPV fires on a building.

A Russian FPV hits a building with a rocket launcher, possibly an RPG-18.The rocket motor burns out completely in the launch tube, so the FPV isn’t hit by backblast.

— Roy (@grandparoy2.bsky.social) 2024-12-29T03:59:36.520Z

Update – 15/2/25: Russian with RPG-FPV, no further information available. (Source)

Update – 28/2/25:

Ukraine’s Presidential Brigade shared a video showcasing the work of its drone teams. In the video an AK-FPV is highlighted.

Update – 13/5/25:

WildHornets have shared what they report is the first combat use of their RPG-armed drone.

Additional footage from WildHornets gives us a closer look at the drone:

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Russian Recoilless Gun Drone

What is old is new. On 12 September, Russian journalist Alexander Kots shared a photograph of a recoilless gun mounted on a drone on his Kotsnews telegram channel channel. The idea certainly isn’t a new one. The use of a recoilless gun on aerial platforms dates back to the 1910s with the development of a series of recoilless guns by Commander Cleland Davis (US Navy) which were experimentally mounted on a variety of early military aircraft.

While the Davis Gun was abandoned shortly after the end of World War One, it was influential and its principle of operation was utilised in later recoilless guns. Essentially it worked along the premise of Newton’s Third Law of Motion, that all things have an equal and opposite reaction – as such Davis connected two guns back to back, with the backwards-facing gun firing a counter-weight.

Fast-forward over a century and the concepts is again revisited in miniature and mounted on a quadcopter drone. Kots described the recoilless gun in his post [machine translated]: “Large pellets are loaded in the front, and an equal counterweight is loaded in the back. Thus, a lightweight drone becomes capable of hitting small air targets without the risk of falling into a tailspin from the recoil.” The image shared appears to show a smoothbore weapon attached to the drone with plumbing clamps with several electrical wires running to it, likely for ignition of the charge.

The developer of the drone, the chief engineer of Russian company BRT, shared Kots’ post commenting [machine translated]: “Our BUBUKA hit the news. I made it, taught it to shoot, and gave it to our FPV players… – I don’t fly myself, it’s not my thing,” lamenting that “since then – no response, no greetings. I’m not even sure they tried to test it.”

The engineer followed this up by posting footage of a test of the recoilless gun, explaining [machine translated]:

“The principle is fully functional. And it was used more than 100 years ago, on plywood planes.
On the FPV, as I see it, for its use, you need to solve 2 main problems: –
– aiming at the target.
– correct ballistics of shot ammunition (dispersion, mass of shot charge, etc.).”

In the video the engineer exclaims that ‘both ways [fired] just fine’ with the grass in front of both barrels clearly impacted by the test. It’s unclear what kind of shot the recoilless gun is designed to use likely a buckshot-style round able to spread on leaving the barrel and sufficiently damage a drone to down it.

It appears that the ‘Bubuka’ may not yet have been tested or used in the field but it is an interesting design mitigating one of the major factors of firing a weapon from a drone – recoil. However, the recoilless gun has a number of drawbacks too. While the gun allows the drone to engage another drone kinetically without having to fly into it, the gun only has one shot which magnifies the difficulty of scoring a hit when aiming is difficult. It’s clear, however, that the evolution of drone warfare in Ukraine is continuing at pace with recent efforts by both sides to mount AK-pattern rifles to drones and the increasing number of drone vs drone engagements occurring.

Update 28/12/24: It appears that a Ukrainian team has also developed a recoilless gun-armed drone. Several videos were shared of an FPV drone equipped with a pair of barrels which are likely electrically initiated and have counter-weight charges as the earlier Russian drone did. The videos show a series of successful drone vs drone engagements.

Update – 3/1/25: A telegram associated with BRT has posted additional photos of their recoilless gun drone developed in early 2024 and expressed Thier frustration that a similar Ukrainian drone has had operational success.

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RPL-20 – Russia’s New Light Machine Gun

I’m excited to share this collaboration with firearms researcher Deni Almaskhanov, of Just Guns. Deni had the chance to attend the Army 2024 exposition in Moscow earlier this month. He has very kindly shared some great video and information about the latest version of Kalashnikov Concern’s RPL-20 light machine gun. 

The RPL-20 at ARMY 2024 (Deni Almaskhanov)

The Russian armed forces haven’t used belt-fed LMGs since 1959 when the RPD was replaced by the RPK. The RPK-74M has been considered obsolescent since 2011. Kalashnikov Concern began exploring an RPK replacement in the 2010s with the RPK-16. The RPK-16 failed to satisfy the military due to issues with overheating and the reliability of its 96-rounds drum magazines. The RPL is a direct follow-up to the ‘Kipchak’ program during which the now extremely rare RPK-16 was trialed. 

The RPL-20 was initially unveiled four years ago during the Army 2020 exposition but was stated to still be in development. 

RPL-20 in its 2023 iteration (Kalashnikov Concern)

The RPL is a belt-fed light machine gun, chambered in 5.45×39mm, it feeds from metal non-disintegrating belts, carried in 100- or 200-rounds textile boxes, with a quick attach/detach mechanism. It fires from an open bolt but does not have a quick change barrel, although it is possible to replace the barrel during the disassembly of the weapon. This aligns the RPL with the simultaneously emerging Western concept of the light assault machine guns like the FN EVOLYS and the Knight’s Armament LAMG amongst others.

Russian patent diagram for the RPL-20 (Russian Patent Office)

Deni explains that the lower receiver is “fixed with a pin in the front end and a latch in the rear end… the latch is pressed, unlocking the pivoting movement of the lower receiver. Such a design was chosen to address the common requirement for all the modern firearms – a continuous top Picatinny rail that would allow for reliable mounting of accessories and aiming devices.” The receiver can be opened this way to reload, however, a faster and more expedient method of reloading the RPL-20 is to simply push a new belt through the firearm’s feed block and pulling the starter tab until the first round seats. 

The RPL-20’s pistol grip and selector (Deni Almaskhanov)

The RPL-20 has a 2-position adjustable gas block mounted onto the barrel. Kalsashnikov Concern’s chief-designer Sergey Urzhumtsev describes the action of the machine gun as ‘an upside-down PKM’, but there are some important mechanical differences, such as the fact that the RPL-20 uses a push-through belt, unlike the PKM which pulls each cartridge backwards from the belt before chambering it. 

On the right side of the receiver, the RPL has a non-reciprocating T-shaped charging handle mounted onto a strong coil spring that is intended to prevent the charging handle from bending the weapon’s receiver or breaking the handle in the event of a heavy strike against it.

There are selector switches on both the left and right sides of the receiver only and the weapon fires in fully automatic fire only. The pistol grip and the buttstock are the same as those being also used on the 2nd and 3rd generations of the AK-12. The buttstock differs slightly in that it has an adjustable cheek rest and a foldable shoulder rest that can be flipped up over the shoulder. The gun on display was also seen with a cant-adjustable vertical front grip attached to the 6 o’clock rail.

The RPL-20’s charging handle (Deni Almaskhanov)

There is a small Picatinny rail at the muzzle end of the barrel intended for attaching the bipod in the forward position. With an alternate position on the handguard giving the user some tactical flexibility.
The handguard is not a separate piece but a continuation of the upper receiver and it is connected to the barrel via the gas block. The weapon has a threaded muzzle device to allow the fitting of suppressors.

There are some notable external changes from the earlier iteration of the RPL. The weapon now has fixed front and rear sight protectors rather than folding iron sights. It also has some changes to the receiver geometry with the receiver no longer having a step but a slope ahead of the breech and more, angled, ventilation holes in the receiver.  

RPL-20 as introduced in 2020 (Kalashnikov Concern)

The RPL-20 is reportedly undergoing state trials this year, so its remains to be seen if the light assault machine gun concept is one which the Russian MoD wishes to pursue. The nature of the war in Ukraine means that urban fighting and trench clearing have become increasingly important, perhaps this is a niche into which the RPL would fit.

My special thanks again to Deni for sharing this brilliant footage and information with me so I can bring you guys this video. Please do check out Deni’s pages – Telegram, Instagram, Youtube.

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Ukrainian Marines Deploy RBS-17/Hellfire Shore Defence Missiles

The RBS-17 has been in Ukrainian service for quite some time with Sweden announcing in June 2022, that they would provide the missiles. The RBS-17 was a development of the AGM-114 Hellfire, entering service in the the early 1990s. It is a man-portable missile which weighs 48kg in addition to the launcher, firing system and laser targeting module. It is typically operated in the field by a five man team – two operating the laser targeting system and three on the weapon itself.

Check out our earlier video on the RBS-17 in Ukraine here

We first saw the RBS-17 in use in the field in a video posted in October 2022, by a page called ‘Bigcats’, the lo-res clip shows the launch of a pair of missiles. In December 2023, the Swedish government published an article and video about Ukraine’s use of the RBS-17 and the training the Swedish armed forces provided on the system. Most recently in May 2024, a clip of an Armenian volunteer unit, NEMESIS, showed a team operating an RBS-17. The video shows NEMESIS team members carrying a missile to the launcher, this gives an indication of just how ‘man portable’ they are. They load the missile and then take cover in the nearby tree-line. We can then see one man manning the control unit and the missile is launched.

It is worth noting that Norway has also provided it’s Hellfire Shore Defense System, which is externally very similar in appearance to the RBS-17. Some of the missiles in use are likely Norwegian HSDS.

Since then we have had a series of excellent clips which are amongst the most detailed so far. The clips were posted to various TikTok accounts and show a team, which appears to be attached to one of the Ukrainian Marine brigades, operating the missile system.

My colleague Weapons_Illustrated shared a series of videos he found on a Ukrainian serviceman’s Tiktok channel which were posted in summer 2024 but have since largely been removed. One simply shows a launch of a missile filmed relatively close to the launcher. Another pans along a missile body showing a message scrawled on the casing and also the missile’s lot number ‘98001’. While slightly blurred one Bofors sticker appears to read ‘Norwegian Hellfire Shore Defense Missile ‘ The video concludes showing a night launch across a body of water before cutting to a thermal camera showing an impact downrange. Another video shows the missile control system before cutting to showing a missile launch and then a clip of a strike on a large building which has its roof blown off. A video posted by the same channel on 20 July included a new launch video showing a missile being fired before cutting to a screen showing the destruction of a building near a large body of water. The landscape visible may suggest the footage was filmed along the Dnieper River, possibly near Krynky.

With further research I came across another affiliated account which had a number of videos showing the launch of RBS-17s dating back to January 2023. The first video posted on 3 January shows a launch of an RBS-17 with a picture-in-picture video of the operator at the launch control terminal. On the 5 March another video was posted from the same position, when the videos were actually filmed is difficult to confirm, this time the video also concluded with a clip of the impact of the missile on a target, a large building, downrange. On 13 May, a short video of the RBS-17s control terminal lit up was shared. A video posted by the account on 23 October, includes a slowed down clip of a launch and a clip showing a missile hit a target building.

The most recent video, posted on 11 December, features the launch of an RBS-17 filmed with multiple camera angles. One shows the video from the launch control station with a picture-in-picture view of the operator at the controls as well as a show showing the missile leaving the launcher, which has been positioned on a road. The video concludes with some overwatch drone feed footage of an impact on a building.

Update – 15/08/24:

One of the accounts which previously shared launch videos also recently shared a new video of a missile being launched from the edge of a field. Given earlier videos posted by the same individual showed HSDS markings this missile may also be a Norwegian HSDS.

Update – 8/9/24: New footage, shared in mid-August by Ukrainian marines operating a RBS-17/Hellfire SDS, geolocated to the Kherson region.

Special thanks to my colleague Weapons Illustrated who found the initial recent videos of the RBS-17 in action. Check out his project tracking various weapon systems seen in Ukraine here.

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3D Printed Evolution of Drone Munitions

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 the use of drones for reconnaissance and tactical missions has evolved so rapidly it has come to characterise the war. The tactic of dropping hand grenades from commercial drones has evolved into the use of larger drones and larger munitions and the use of first person view (or FPV) one-way, kamikaze drones.

L-R: V3 XL ‘Big Mac’, V2, V1 & small VOG-sized casing (via Joe MacDonald)

Joe MacDonald, a British volunteer currently fighting in Ukraine, has kindly shared a short video showing some of the newest munitions that have been in use with his drone team for some time. Joe has led the development of a series of munitions of varying sizes. These range from small 450g bombs up to 3.5kgs which are dropped from a range of drones, small Mavic-type drones up to the ‘Baba Yaga’ heavy bomber drones.

This short video from Joe just goes to illustrate the importance of 3D printing in the development and manufacture of drone dropped munitions. The 3D printed casings are loaded with explosives and shrapnel which can then be fuzed ready for deployment in the field. The 3D printed designs have only grown more sophisticated, evolving originally from printed trail sections and nose cones.

3D printed drone munition casings with tail assemblies (via Joe MacDonald)

Importantly, the use of 3D printing allows for the casings and tails to be standardised and consistent. The 3.5kg V3 takes up to 24 hours to print, they could be printed faster but Joe explained that this sacrifices rigidity and robustness and he prefers the munitions his unit uses to be soldier-proof and capable of standing up to handling. Joe also noted that packing the casings with plastic explosive takes force which the cases have to be able to stand up to. While there are plenty of other case and tail designs in use the designs Joe led the refinement and development have been used by numerous Ukrainian brigades.

Special thanks to Joe for sharing the video and taking the time to explain how drone munitions are assembled, I highly recommend checking out Joe’s channel, Big Mac’s Battle Blogs, he regularly shares some really interesting insights.

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Anti-Tank Mines Used As Satchel Charges

In recent weeks there have been a spate videos showing Russian troops using TM-62 anti-tank mines as improvised satchel charges. We’ve already seen TM-62s used as drone dropped munitions and as demolition charges. The videos shared most recently show the dramatic effect that the TM-62s can have on structures. But they aren’t the first videos of the mines being used in this way to emerge from the conflict.

Back in April 2023, overwatch drone footage was shared which showed a Ukrainian soldier using a satchel charge, which appears to be a TM-62, to destroy a Russian fighting position. The charge detonates about 10 seconds after it’s tossed into the position. Almost a year later in early March 2024, another piece of drone footage showed troops from the 2nd mechanised battalion of the 30th mechanised brigade destroying what appears to be the entrance to a cellar near Syn’kivka, in Kharkiv Oblast, with a TM-62 satchel charge.

A Russian soldier posts a TM-62 through a window (via social media)

Several days later another video showed a member of the 81st Airmobile Brigade using a TM-62 to destroy Russian dugouts near Bilohorivka. In the video a Ukrainian serviceman can be seen lighting a length of safety fuze which appears to be taped to the body of the mine. He then throws the mine into a hole in the roof of a dugout and takes cover – approximately 20 seconds later it detonates. Several grenades are thrown into the dugout and another mine is brought up, we can see the mine is being carried by its attachable webbing carrying handle. The safety fuze on the mine is lit and thrown into a covered section of trench and detonated approximately 22 seconds later.

On 12 April, the 109th Territorial Defense Brigade shared video of urban operations in which Ukrainian troops, with covering fire from HMMWVs, used satchel charges to destroy several buildings. The drone footage of the operation isn’t clear enough to make out if the satchel charges used are TM-62 based but the charges clearly have a significant blast effect.

Depending on the variant TM-62s mine are packed with 7.5kg (17lbs) of explosive and is normally centrally fuzed by a mechanical MVCh-62 pressure fuze. It is a High-Explosive Blast (HE-Blast) mine typically with a TNT filling. While extremely potent they aren’t designed to be thrown, weighing 9.5–10kg (20-22lbs). 

A Ukrainian soldier lights a safety fuze to ignite a TM-62 (via social media)

While in some videos its clear that some sort of cord fuze was used to initiate the mine in some of the more recent footage it appears that grenade fuzes may have been used. This gives the user very little time to escape the blast radius.

On 2 July, a Russian telegram channel shared the first of several videos of Russian troops using TM-62s to clear positions. The location of the video isn’t stated but it shows Russian soldiers tossing a pair of what appear to be a TM-62Ps (which have a red-orange Bakelite case). Two days later another drone video showed [better quality version] a Russian soldier run up to a building and throw a TM-62 through a ground floor window, he runs clear but the mine detonates just three seconds later. It’s unclear from the video when he initiated the fuze, likely before approaching the building. The charge effectively collapses the corner of the two storey structure’s outer wall.

A TM-62 satchel charge destroys the corner of a building (via social media)

Russia telegram channel WarGonzo shared another video on 5 July, reportedly filmed in Niu-York, Ukraine, showing a member of the 9th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade using a TM-62 to destroy a building which was said to have been occupied by Ukrainian troops. The Russian soldier can be seen pulling a pin on what may be a grenade fuze just before throwing the mine through a window. The mine detonates just three seconds later completely destroying the small building.

Another spectacular video was shared on around 7 July, showing two Russian soldiers deploying a pair of TM-62s against a large building, the location of which isn’t stated. They are seen approaching the building, pulling fuze pins and tossing the mines in. As they turn and run the mines detonate just three seconds later demolishing the building.

While in most of these videos the men deploying the mines appear to get clear they do beg the age old question of whether some of the soldiers deploying the mines are inevitably ‘hoist by their own petards’ – the etymology of that phrase being a reference the the dangerous business of 16th century sappers being killed or injured while deploying Petards, a historic equivalent to a modern demolition or satchel charge.

16th century engineer deploying a petard (via Library of Congress)

It’s clear from the available imagery that both Russia and Ukraine have utilised TM-62s as ad-hoc satchel or demolition charges since at least early 2023 (and likely earlier). It’s unclear how widespread of a practice the use of the mines is but it is clearly highly effective and while it puts the user deploying the mine at significant risk it appears an effective way of clearing enemy positions if the charge can be delivered successfully.

Update – 30/09/24: Footage of what may be an assault demolition, of an apartment block in Toretsk, using TM-62s.

Update – 21/10/24: A member of Ukraine’s Russian Volunteer Corps employs a TM-62 satchel charge during fighting in Vovchansk.

Update – 5/12/24:

Omega Team, an SOF unit with Ukraine’s National Guard, employ multiple TM-62s during a hit and run raid on a Russian strong point in an apartment block.

Update – 12/12/24:

An recent video of Ukrainian combatants using multiple TM-62 (or similar) anti-armour mines (минированию) as satchel charges in Toretsk was shared. The video shows half a dozen charges comprised of a pair of mines taped together with a delay fuze. These charges are thrown into the ground floor of a damaged building.

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Ukraine Captures First Turtle Tank

Since my last article/video on Russia’s ‘turtle tanks’ the adapted vehicles have continued to be used on several fronts but on Monday, 17 June Ukrainian forces captured their first turtle tank intact.

Known by numerous names by both sides including ‘Blyatmobiles’ (Блятьмобиль) and ‘assault garages’ (штурмовые гаражи), ‘Tsar Mangals’ (Царь мангал) or simply ‘sheds’ (сарай) the tanks are characterised by them being equipped with large counter-FPV shells made from readily available sheet metal (and other non-standard materials) and are sometimes equipped with electronic warfare jammers to provide additional protection against drones and sometimes with mine clearing devices such a mine rollers or ploughs. They appear to have been developed to provide improvised breaching vehicles capable of penetrating Ukrainian minefields, withstand drone attacks and in some cases deliver troops to an objective.

Front of the Turtle Tank captured in the field (via ArmyInform)

From posts on Ukrainian social media the tank was reportedly captured by troops from the 22nd Separate Mechanised Brigade but the vehicle was first encountered near Klishchiivka by soldiers of the 244th battalion of the 112th Territorial Defense Brigade that had been seconded to the 5th Assault Brigade.

The turtle tank allegedly became lost in the Klishchiivka area and saw an M113 APC belonging to the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Assault Brigade and began following it. When the M113 crew spotted the enemy tank it attempted to hide. The tank, however, continued to follow and on reaching the M113 a member of the turtle tank’s crew said to be the driver got out to ask for directions. He was captured by medics of the 244th Battalion. From the footage available it appears that the following morning troops of the 22nd Separate Mechanised Brigade approached the tank and captured an undisclosed number of Russian troops who were travelling in the rear of the turtle tank’s counter-FPV shell. Despite numerous sources and accounts the timeline of the tank’s capture remains somewhat unclear.

The immobilised Turtle Tank captured in the field (via 22nd Separate Mechanised Brigade)

Subsequently released footage from a 22nd Mechanised Brigade drone appears to show the Turtle Tank being damaged by a drone dropped munition before it was captured. The post with the video claimed that the turtle tank’s crew became disorientated after the drone attack and mistakenly drove towards Ukrainian lines. Lt. Colonel Serhiy Misyura, of ArmyInform, also noted that the vehicle was struck by an FPV. Lt.Col. Misyura claims that the drone dropped munition detonated next to one of the tank’s road wheels and immobilised it. After it was captured Ukrainian troops were able to get the tank moving again and drive it to the rear.

Drone footage then shows the capture of the tank’s crew and the vehicle moving off towards the Ukrainian rear. Teoyaomiquu shared a short clip filmed by a member of the 93rd Mechanized Brigade which showed the captured tank passing by, the 22nd Mechanised Brigade’s flag can be seen flying from the top of the tank. In a photograph of the tank and some of the men who captured it the same flag can be seen. Another piece of footage showing the tank close up also appeared online on the 18th June. The video shows the front, rear and left side of the tank’s counter-FPV shell.

Right side of the captured Turtle Tank (via ArmyInform)

On the 19th June, the 112th Territorial Defense Brigade shared a short video showing the confused captured tank driver sat in the rear of an M113. On the 20th June, ArmyInform, the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ news outlet published a video on their YouTube channel giving us an up close look at the captured tank in detail during which Lt. Colonel Misyura describes it as a ‘marvel of modern Russian engineering’.

The Ukrainian Army were quick to capitalise on the propaganda value of finally capturing one of the Tsar Mangal (Tsar’s Barbaque) / assault sheds in tact, at the time of publication the video has over 650,000 views on YouTube alone.

Examining The Turtle

Since late April we have seen many variations on the ‘turtle tank’ theme, this example is certainly one of the least refined. Firstly, the tank does not appear to have been equipped with mine clearing kit as some of the other tanks have. However, it has been outfitted with what appear to be some sort of EW jammer to counter drones. Additionally, we can clearly see several UDSh smoke generators, held in a pair of brackets on either side of the shell. These have sometimes been misidentified as standard TM-62 anti-tank mines but the UDSh is a smoke generator which mimics the mine’s shape for training purposes. In this case they have been repurposed to enable the tank to create a mobile smoke screen. According to CAT-UXO the UDSh can be initiated electronically or manually and once ignited discharges smoke for 8-10 minutes. In the ArmyInform video it is also noted that the Kontakt ERA blocks seen on the tank’s glacis are empty.

Ukrainian troops pose in fron of the captured Turtle Tank (via social media)

The tank itself is a T-62M and according to Ukrainian sources the turret is fixed in place and the tank carried no ammunition for its main gun, making it largely defenceless in isolation from supporting elements. The counter-FPV shell is crudely assembled made up of a mish-mash of materials including metal sheeting which ranges from rusted bare metal to various worn paint colours, wire fencing and metal caging. There also appears to be rubber matting attached front and rear to help keep dust down. The top of the shell over the tank’s engine deck appears incomplete and may have been damaged. In the ArmyInform video which shows the area in-detail it is clear that the counter-FPV shell’s support struts were welded directly to the top of the hull and a number of large and small shrapnel holes in the shell are visible.

Top of the captured Turtle Tank (via ArmyInform)

It appears that between when the vehicle was captured and when the ArmyInform video was filmed the Ukrainian have removed the assemblies, which may have been EW jammers, on the front of the tank. Its unclear how long the adapted tank has been in service but their is evidence of past repairs and there are numerous spray painted slogans on its panels including ‘god is with us’, ‘Hero-Z’ and ‘154 RUS’ (a possible joke reference to Russian vehicle registration plates). If this is the case it might hint at the origins of the Russian crew. ‘154’ is a registration code for the Novosibirsk Oblast which is the home of the 41st Combined Arms Army. In one clip of the tank it also has what appears to be a stolen ‘1941’ sign (possibly from a Great Patriotic War memorial) attached to the rear of its shell.

Check out our previous article/videos on the turtle tanks here.

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TAB Reference Collection: M203 and Swedish K Manuals

A quick look at a couple of recent additions to the TAB Reference Collection: a 1979 dated Colt M203 grenade launcher manual and a 1959 dated Irish Defence Force manual for the Carl Gustaf m/45 submachine gun!

The small Colt M203 manual covers everything you need to know about how to operate and maintain your 40mm grenade launcher. The booklet measures just 5 inches by 3.5 inches.

I’ve recently aimed to expand the TAB Reference Collection into Irish Defence Force material, this 1959 manual for the m/45 Carl Gustaf submachine gun joins an Irish manual for the FN FAL I acquired last year.

More videos on items from the TAB Reference Collection here

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! Thank you for your support!

Call For Questions: 100,000 Subscriber Q&A!

Super thrilled to have passed the 100,000 subscriber mark over on YouTube!

The channel has been around since 2017 and has taken me to some incredible places and given me the chance to examine some amazing weapons everything from Ferguson rifles to the HK G11! Very grateful to everyone who has watched my videos over the years. Starting off on shaky ground stumbling over pieces to camera to disassembling and examining one of a kind John Browning prototypes and everything in between!

You may have found me through my videos on the war in Ukraine. While never something I thought I’d be covering in real-time I hope they’ll provide a useful resource in years to come. I can only hope it’s a series of videos that ends soon. I really appreciate everyone who has watched my work, commented and shared the videos. Massive thank you to past & present supporters on Patreon they have hoped me justify spending so much time on making videos!

Thank you also to friends and colleagues who have helped with research and been supportive over the years. Working on historical and contemporary firearms content has led me to becoming friends with some incredible historians, researchers and video creators which have really enriched my life. So, all in all, reaching 100,000 subscribers may seem insignificant compared to some of the huge YouTube channels out there but when you’re a fairly quiet British fella who likes firearms and history it’s wonderful to be able to share the passion with so many others each week. Thank you.

I thought I’d celebrate by doing a question and answer / ask me anything. So ask me anything! Firearms history, my background, favourite colour, questions about my videos on Ukraine, and I’ll try to answer as many as I can in a video or live stream! Leave questions in the video’s comments or email them here.