Tag: Pistols

HK SFP9 Pistols In Ukraine

While pistols may not feature heavily on combat footage from the ongoing war in Ukraine, sidearms continue to be a key piece of equipment for many combatants. Many different types of pistol are in use in Ukraine, everything from the venerable TT-33 and Makarov to Glock 19s and Ukrainian-made Forts. Many nations supporting Ukraine have provided pistols as aid, one of these is Germany, in this article/video we’ll look at the supply and issuing of the Heckler & Koch SFP9.

Introduced in 2014, the SFP9, or VP9 as its known in the US, is a 9x19mm striker-fired polymer-framed pistol. It uses the ubiquitous short recoil, tilting barrel action and feeds from 15, 17 or 20 round magazines and is in service with numerous law enforcement agencies and the Lithuanian armed forces. Before we examine some of the sighting of the pistols in Ukraine it’s also worth noting that HK pistols, though rare, have been commercially available in Ukraine for some time and some of the SFP9s we’ll discuss in this article/video may have been procured privately by combatants.

As early as March 2023, the German government announced its intentions to provide Ukraine with 500 HK SFP9 pistols. The delivery of this first batch of pistols was announced on 16 March. Despite this I haven’t been able to find visual evidence of the pistols presence in Ukraine until February 2024, when a photo of a SFP9 OR – or ‘optics ready’ pistol was shared by a combatant. The pistol has an Olight weapon light and a red dot.

In July 2024, a Ukrainian combatant, believed to be attached to the SSO’s 73rd Naval Special Operations Center, shared a photograph showing him carrying a SFP9 as well as a Daniel Defense carbine.

In October 2024, the confirmed number of pistols provided to Ukraine jumped significantly to 3,500, indicating significant transfers of SFP9s to Ukraine. Following this the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR MO)’s Revanche International unit, subordinate to Revanche Tactical Group shared an instagram story on 9 November, showing one of the pistols at a range. The pistol, however, is marked VP9 rather than SFP9. VP9 is the US commercial name for the pistol.

On 11 November a member of the HUR’s Kraken Regiment shared a photo of another VP9 mounted with a Veridian X5L weapon light. A month later on 19 December, another Ukrainian combatant shared a range photo of a trio of pistols including a Russian MP-443 ‘Grach’, a Glock 17 Gen 4 and a new SFP9.

On 25 January 2025, ORKOVNET, the YouTube channel of the Ukrainian Orkov gunstore, shared a short range video of a VP9 marked pistol noting that the pistols were now in Ukrainian service.

An Instagram page affiliated with the HUR’s Special Purpose Unit “Timur” shared a series of photos from a range session on 3 February. One of the photos included an SFP9 SD with a threaded suppressor-ready barrel.

On 19 March a combatant with a reconnaissance and UAV team within the Special Operations Forces of the HUR MO shared a photo of a holstered SFP9 alongside a SIG P320.

A member of HUR MO Timur’s Spectre 33 unit posted several photos in early Spring 2025 featuring an SFP9 OR, with one photo showing mounted with a A-Tec PMM6 suppressor.

In April, a Japanese volunteer with one of the HUR International Legion teams shared photos of a new VP9-marked pistol. He noted that while he liked the pistol he preferred Glock triggers and he confirmed that his pistol was shipped with 17 round magazines.

On 6 April, a member of the GUR’s Revanche Tactical Group / Advanced Combat Group shared a photo showcasing a host of small arms from their armoury including new HK433s, HK416s, a UAR-10, CZ and Glock pistols and a pair of HK SFP9s.

A week later DW News shared a report on a Ukrainian camp where adolescents can receive training. From the small arms seen in the short report, including an HK416A8 and an SFP9 indicate the camp may have been run by HUR personnel.

Later in April an Instagram page affiliated with the Revanche Tactical Group shared a photo of a holstered SFP9 and another photo of one of the pistols at the range alongside a Daniel Defense carbine was shared on 23 April by the unit’s medical team.

Another probable SFP9 can be seen in a photo, posted on 6 May, by a volunteer aid organisation, in the photo members of a HUR MO International Legion unit receive gas masks somewhere in the
Zaporizhzhia region. Most recently, the pistols featured in a HUR MO International Legion training video posted on 10 May. The video shows a pair of combatants firing SFP9s at the range.

Iin mid-July, members of the 6th Separate SSO Ranger Regiment were photographed training with what appear to be SFP9s. At the end of July, a member of the 73rd Naval Special Operations Center shared a video and several photos of a brand new 2025-production SFP9 OR with a threaded barrel and suppressor-height sights. Unlike the other pistols seen so far, this SFP9 appears to have an OD green frame. From the video, it seems the pistol shipped with a 17 and a 20-round magazine as well as an Aimpoint ACRO P2 and a Streamlight TLR-8X. Several days later this was followed by a photo from another member of the 73rd Naval Special Operations Center who shared a photo of a pair of OD Green SFP9 ORs both with Aimpoint ACROs and one with a Streamlight (possibly the pistol seen earlier).

The pistols were not taken from German military stores, instead the deliveries were drawn from industry stocks and financed by German government funds. This is supported by the presence of VP9-marked pistols which indicate some of the pistols shipped were pulled from HK production that was planned for the US market. On the 17 April, the German government announce it would no longer be publicly updating its list of aid to Ukraine. As of April 2025, Germany has provided 3,500 HK SFP9s to Ukraine.

It appears from the available visual evidence that at least a portion of the 3,500 HK pistols have been provided to Ukraine’s HUR MO direct action teams with some also appearing in the hands of elements of the SSO. Both VP9 and SFP9-marked guns have been seen in-country with at least a portion of them being SFP9 ORs, with slides cut for mounting optics. Given the very infrequent imagery of operational pistol use it is difficult to confirm uses of the SFP9s in the field with the majority of imagery available stemming from training sessions.

Special thanks to Mathias, Hao, deaidua.org, & Dikobraz for their help with this video.

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Vintage Weapons In a Modern War: The TT-33 Pistol In Ukraine

The fighting in Ukraine has seen a wide range of small arms in use ranging from the cutting edge to the antique. We’ve seen a number of older weapons like Mosin-Nagant rifles, M1910 Maxim machine guns and DP light machine guns in service with both sides. [We’ll take a look at those in future videso] The TT-33 pistol, a pistol which first entered service 90 years ago, is another older weapon which is again seeing action. The examples seen in theatre are likely a mix of privately owned firearms and pistols drawn from Ukrainian stores. 

Introduced in the mid-1930s to replace the 1895 Nagant revolver, over a million TTs have been produced. Designed by Fedor Tokarev the pistol became the Soviet Union’s primary side arm, seeing service during the Second World War alongside the Nagant. 

The TT-33 is a semi-automatic pistol, chambered in 7.62×25mm. It feeds from an 8 round single stack magazine and uses John Browning’s short recoil tilting-barrel action. The TT is an extremely robust pistol and remained in service well into the 1950s with the Red Army and continues in service around the world even today.  

A photo of a TT-33 shared by the TDF’s 127th Kharkiv Brigade (via social media)

Pistol use in general in the current conflict doesn’t appear to be prolific but a considerable number of combatants are frequently seen carrying side arms. Everything from Makarovs and Stetchkins to more modern Glocks and Ukrainian Fort handguns. Pistols are often carried by soldiers working in roles which frequently see them separated from their service rifle and by those who prefer to carry a secondary weapon.

While we’ve seen TT-33s in the hands of Russian and Ukrainian separatist troops in this video we’ll largely focus on Ukrainian use. At the fall of the Soviet Union a considerable amount of surplus small arms fell under Ukraine’s control, including substantial numbers of TT pistols. While not general issue it has been in service with the Ukrainian Army, National Guard and the Border Guard Service. This video definitely isn’t an exhaustive survey of TT use in Ukraine but lets take a look at some examples:

At the start of April 2022 the training department of the command headquarters of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces have published a number of high quality videos showing how to disassemble and clean the TT.

The Ukrainian YouTube channel, Boys from the Forest (ХЛОПЦІ З ЛІСУ) shared a video looking at the TT in May 2022. They concluded their video by shooting a block of explosive reactive armour with the pistol – to no effect. In June Alina Mykhailova, a medic with 1st separate mechanised battalion “Da Vinci Wolves” shared a photo of some firearms used by the unit, including amongst other things – a TT pistol.

A photo of a TT-33 shared by an International Legion volunteer (via social media)

In around August some members of a TDF unit posed with a Nestor Makhno banner and a DP light machine gun and a TT-33 pistol. A Russian news report from around Soledar, published on 5 August, featured an interview with a soldier carrying a TT in a front pouch of his load bearing equipment. On the 12 August a Ukrainian operator shared a couple of photos of his side arm, a 1945-dated, Izhevsk manufactured TT-33 with wooden grips. Date and location they were taken wasn’t shared.  

In an interesting video posted around the 25 August, a TT-33 is used to test some captured Russian steel plate. Yurii Kochevenko, an officer of the 95th Air Assault Brigade, shoots a one of the plates point black with TT he carries in a webbing holster. The 7.62x25mm round doesn’t cleanly penetrate the plate but appears to impart enough force to crack the metal.

At the end of November the Military Institute at the National University in Kyiv shared photos of cadets taking part in a shooting championship using TT pistols.

On 30 December, the 247th Separate Battalion of the TDF’s 127th Kharkiv Brigade shared a photo of Vitaly, a member of the battalion, armed with an AK-74 and on his plate carrier he has a TT in a Cytac holster. These tactical holsters for the 90 year old pistol retail for around 780 Hryvnia. On the same day Ukrainian personnel shared an update video from their position in Bakhmut, one of them is carrying a TT on his plate carrier.

A TDF officer, call sign Witch, has been seen numerous times carrying a TT-33 as her sidearm. Videos posted to her TikTok on 24 December and 12 January show it in a holster on her plate carrier, with a coil lanyard fitted. A video shared by the TDF Public Relations Service on 19 February also gives us a good look at the TT carried by Witch.

Ukrainian marksman position with a rotary grenade launcher, a UAR-10 and a TT pistol (via social media)

On 26 February 2023, the TDF’s 127th Kharkiv Brigade shared a gallery of photographs featuring the TT on their instagram page. The caption notes that: “Despite the fact that this pistol was actively used even during the Second World War, it is simple in design, reliable in operation, small in size, comfortable to carry and always ready to defeat the Russian invaders.”

A Ukrainian special operations unit shared a photo of a member of the unit sat beside a Russian prisoner while holding two TT-33 pistols, one in its original finish and the other was a camouflage paint job. Most recently at the start of March a Ukrainian marksman active around Bakhmut shared a photo of his position with a rotary grenade launcher, a UAR-10 and a TT pistol.

In addition to the original TT-33s seen in theatre there are also a significant number of former-Yugoslavian M57s which while externally very similar have some improvements, including a slightly longer grip that allows the magazine to hold an extra round.

Update – 25/6/2024:

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Bibliography:

The Procedure for Partial Disassembly and Assembly of a TT pistol, TDF, (source)  

Rules for cleaning and lubricating weapons on the example of a TT pistol, TDF, (source)