Tag: RPG

US Transfers Seized Iranian Small Arms to Ukraine

The U.S. government announced, on 9 April, the transfer of enough small arms to equip a brigade to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The weapons originate from the arms shipments that the US Navy and allies have seized in recent years thousands of weapons and millions of rounds of ammunition which have been seized in recent years from Iranian shipments to the Houthis in Yemen.

Thousands of illicit weapons interdicted by USS Monterey, May 2021 (U.S. Navy)

In a statement U.S. Central Command noted that the arms and munitions had been “originally seized by U.S. Central Command and partner naval forces from four separate transiting stateless vessels between 22 May 2021 to 15 Feb 2023.” The transfer to Ukraine includes 5,000 AK-pattern rifles, RPG-7 rocket launchers, sniper rifles and machine guns. This is not the first transfer of seized small arms to Ukraine with a previous transfer occurring in October 2023, when 1.1 million rounds of an unspecified 7.62mm calibre ammunition were transferred. That transfer was made up of ammunition seized from a single dhow on 9 December, 2022. 

On Jan. 7. U.S. Navy seized 2,116 AK-pattern rifles including AKS20U & Type 56-1s from a fishing vessel en route from Iran to Yemen. (U.S. Navy)

On 6 July 2023, the U.S. Justice Department filed a forfeiture action for: “over 9,000 rifles, 284 machine guns, approximately 194 rocket launchers, over 70 anti-tank guided missiles and over 700,000 rounds of ammunition” these were reported to have originated from two dhows in 2021 and two from 2023. This suggests a discrepancy in the number of seized weapons detailed by the forfeiture action and the number subsequently handed over to Ukraine. This perhaps suggests that either a further transfer will follow with the remainder or a substantial portion of the arms and ammunition were not suitable for transfer for some unknown reason.

In terms of the types of small arms being transferred we can get a pretty good idea from examining the previously released images of the arms seized over the last couple of years. These include:

  • Chinese Type 56-1 7.62x39mm AKs
  • Russian VEPR AKS20U [VPO-158N-06] in 5.45x39mm (these will likely be useful for support troops and vehicle crews)
  • PK-pattern general purpose machine guns or Iranian and Chinese origin
  • Russian Kornet and Iranian Dehlaviyeh anti-tank guided missiles
  • Chinese Type 69 and Iranian RPG-7 clones
  • Iranian AM-50 12.7x99mm anti-materiel rifles
  • Chinese SVD clones
  • Imagery of seized ammunition suggests 7.62x54mmR, 7.62x39mm, and 12.7x99mm

US Central Command noted that:

“The munitions were being transferred from the IRGC to the Houthis in Yemen in violation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216. U.S. CENTCOM is committed to working with our allies and partners to counter the flow of Iranian lethal aid in the region by all lawful means including U.S. and U.N. sanctions and through interdictions.”

The U.S. Justice Department confirmed in a statement that the transfer took place on 4 April, also explaining that the transfer required a civil forfeiture ruling against seized arms and ammunition which enabled the hand over. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said: “The Justice Department will continue to use our legal authorities, including forfeiture, to support the Ukrainian people in their fight.”

French naval forces interdicted more than 3,000 rifles and 578,000 rounds of ammunition, Jan. 2023 (US CENTCOM)

Most recently, in February 2023, the U.S. Navy reported that “more than 5,000 weapons and 1.6 million rounds of ammunition” had been seized since the beginning of the year. In 2021 alone, approximately 9,000 weapons were intercepted on their way to the Houthis. This suggests that if the weapons have not already been disposed of then there a further stocks of seized weapons to draw on for transfers to Ukraine. It remains to be seen if and when further transfers of seized weapons will be made and when the transferred weapons will begin to be spotted in the field.

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!

Russia’s Rare RPG-16 in Ukraine

One of the rarer Russian anti-armour weapons to surface during the ongoing war in Ukraine is the RPG-16. The RPG-7’s big brother was developed in the late 1960s and entered service in the early 1970s. It was predominantly developed for Russia’s airborne forces, the VDV, but also saw issue to Spetsnaz units.

The RPG-16 is characterised by its larger diameter tube which can fire a 58mm (2.3 inch) PG-16 rocket-propelled grenade. Unlike the RPG-7s munitions the PG-16 slides flush inside the launcher, while this limits the volume and types of warhead the RPG-16’s ammunition can carry it provides improved accuracy and slightly increased range. The PG-16 is a fin-stabilised high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) round with a rocket booster which propels it at a maximum velocity of 350 metres per second. The rocket weighs around 2.1kgs and has a maximum range of 800 metres, though practical engagement range of vehicles is closer to 300 metres. It can penetrate up to 300mm (12 inch) of rolled homogenous armour.

An RPG-16 seen in a Russian news report, June 2023 (Russia 1)

The RPG-16 can only fire the PG-16 round and following its adoption in the early 1970s it has been surpassed by other anti-armour weapons which have entered Russian service and by the development of more capable PG-7 series warheads. The launcher weighs 12.4 kg (27 lbs) [compared to the 7 kg (15.4 lb) of the RPG-7] when loaded and is 110cm (43.5 in) long but can be broken down into two parts: the rear tube with venturi and the forward tube and fire control group. Unlike the smaller RPG-7 it has a bipod near the muzzle and a grip area on the fire control group, it does not have a second, rear pistol grip.

A reported 120,000 were produced with manufacture continuing into the late 1980s. It had been thought that the RPG-16 went out of Russian service in the early 2000s but evidently some have been drawn from stores and have been used in Ukraine. The RPG-16 was reportedly used against fixed positions during the Soviet war in Afghanistan and may now be pressed into the same role in Ukraine.

It appears from available imagery that the RPG-16 began to be issued in early 2023. Early March 2023 saw Russian state-news outlet RIA shared a report featuring combatants of the 76th Guards Air Assault Division firing small arms and RPGs in woodland. One of the RPGs fired was an RPG-16.

Russian combatant firing an RPG-16, December 2023 (via social media)

In late April, stills from a video of troops said to be with the 98th Guards Airborne Division featured an RPG-16 being fired near Dibrova were shared. I’ve been unable to find the original footage. In June, one of the launchers appeared in a Russia-1 news report featuring Russian forces near Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast.

On 26 November, a Russian combatant shared a photograph of an RPG-7 and an RPG-16 next to one another, reportedly taken in a depot or armoury. Two days later on 28 November a short clip of marines from the Russian 40th Naval Infantry Brigade was shared showing an RPG-16 in action, location unknown, possibly near Pavlivka.

A week later, on 3 December a video featuring a pair of Russian combatants from the Otvazhnye (Brave) Group, firing an RPG-7 and an RPG-16 was posted on telegram. The footage was probably filmed in near Kreminna where the unit was reportedly active.

Russian combatant poses with an RPG-16 and AK-12, January 2024 (via social media)

On 13 December, a mobilized Russian combatant shared a post on Telegram describing his experiences at the front. He mentions that due to a lack of infantry anti-armour weapons with sufficient range to reach Ukrainian AFVs standing off and firing on their positions his unit began issuing RPG-16s. In late January, two photographs of Russian troops in a trench, location unknown, posed with an RPG-16, and some unrelated RPG-7 munitions.

From the limited imagery available it seems that the RPG-16s have been again issued to largely airborne units, however they have also been seen with Russia’s naval infantry. Exactly why the RPG-16 has returned to service is unclear, as by one Russian combatant suggested, it may be that the greater range offered by the RPG-16 enables engagement of distant targets, another potential reason might be Russia’s desire to use up existing reserve stocks of munitions.

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!

Specifications:

Calibre: 58.3 mm
Length:
– Assembled: 1,104 mm
– Disassembled: 645 mm
Weight:
– Unloaded with optical sight: 10.3kg
– Loaded: 12.4kg
Velocity:
– Initial: 130 m/s
– Maximum: 350 m/s
Effective range: 800 m
Armour Penetration: +300 mm

Bibliography:

Jane’s Infantry Weapons 2014-15, R.D. Jones & L.S. Ness (2014)

58mm PG-16 Rocket, CAT-UXO, (source)

RPG-16 Udar Russian Rocket-Propelled Grenade Launcher, US Army, (source)

Airborne choice: Soviet RPG-16 in Afghanistan, Safar Publishing, (source)


RPG Warheads with Fragmentation Sleeves

On 2 October, Ukraine’s 28th Mechanised Brigade posted a video on their social media showing an RPG team firing an RPG-7 during a firefight. The warheads being fired from the RPG-7 were all outfitted with homemade fragmentation sleeves.

A fragmentation sleeve fits over a warhead and breaks apart when the warhead detonates. The explosion spreads the fragments increasing the warheads anti-personnel effect. The sleeve seen in the video appears to be made from a sheet of rolled metal with a base ring. Their design and construction appears to be quite uniform and similar examples of the fragmentation sleeves have been seen on several earlier occasions. The sheet appears to be several millimetres thick with a grid of cuts creating weaknesses for along which the metal can fragment.

PG-7 warheads with uniform fragmentation sleeves, in a video posted by the 28th Mechanised Brigade (Ukrainian Army)

Back in April a photograph featuring similar sleeves was shared, one PG-7 warhead has a sleeve running between the venturi/rocket nozzles and the base of warhead’s shaped charge while the other appears to have a sleeve which is wrapped around the lower part of the warhead. The venturi of this warhead isn’t visible.

[Correction/Update – 11/11/23: The rocket is in fact a PG-9/16 which is fired from SPG-9 recoilless guns. This suggests that fragmentation sleeves are also in use with the widely used SPG-9. See image below. – Thank you to Michael Crenshaw for his help IDing this munition.]

Top: PG-9/16 with frag sleeve Bottom: PG-7 with frag sleeve (via social media)

A Ukrainian combatant shared a short video featuring a PG-7 warhead with a fragmentation sleeve on 4 May. On 21 June, Ukrainian news outlet Новинарня published a video report featuring the 67th Mechanised Brigade in action near Kreminna. Members of the brigade’s 2nd mechanised battalion are seen with numerous PG-7s with fragmentation sleeves in the report. One Ukrainian combatant is seen preparing them for launch, attaching boosters to the rockets.

It would appear that the design of the sleeves has been shared between a number of fabricators as they have appeared in a number of areas and appear to a fairly standardised design. Images from the summer of 2023 show the sleeves added to a variety of different PG-7 warheads including a crate of six PG-7VLs.

A number of PG-7V with frag sleeves (via social media)

In August, a Ukrainian individual made a call on social media for fabricators to produce base rings for sleeves. The post included a photograph of six PG-7M warheads with fragmentation sleeves.

The October video posted by the 28th Mechanised Brigade shows the rockets being fired at unseen targets in the distance. The RPG-gunner appears to be using the tactic of using the warhead’s maximum range self-destruct feature to detonate the warheads above Russian positions.

The warheads are fitted point-initiating base detonating fuzes which contain a pyrotechnic-based self-destruct mechanism which causes the warhead to detonate at its maximum range of approximately 950 metres. When the warhead detonates at the end of its flight it will shower what is below it with fragments from both the warhead and the fragmentation sleeve.

A crate of 6 PG-7VLs with slightly rusty frag sleeves (via social media)

On 30 September, a PG-7 with a fragmentation sleeve was seen at the beginning of a video shared by the ‘Omega’, the Special Purpose Center of Ukraine’s National Guard. The characteristic shape of a sleved warhead can be seen just before a member of ‘Omega’ fired the RPG-7.

On 4 October, a Ukrainian combatant shared a photograph of a PG-7VL warhead with a fragmentation sleeve. The photo was shared in response to the earlier August photograph. This example, however, appears to be made from a mosaic of small metal squares rather than from a scored sheet of metal.

An RPG-7 with a fragmentation sleeve, 67th Mechanised Brigade (Новинарня)

In terms of effectiveness the sleeves probably do not fragment uniformly along the cuts in the outer surface. However, the fragmentation effect of the sleeve is probably good enough for it’s intended purpose. It also remains unclear if the added mass and likely shifting of the warheads’ centre of gravity negatively effects its range and accuracy.

Fragmentation sleeves are definitely not a new innovation but they are a simple adaptation which can be made to PG-7 pattern warheads, which are predominantly designed for anti-armour roles, to improve their effectiveness against enemy personnel. While there are a number of warheads designed specifically for use against personnel these may not be as commonly available and as a result the Ukrainians have taken to improvising. We have already seen makeshift anti-personnel warheads made from fire extinguishers packed with explosive and the practice of simply taping shrapnel to the sides of standard PG-7 warheads.

06/11/23 – Update: An additional video featuring a PG-7VL warhead with a frag sleeve being used to tamp down a sandbag.

Update – 14/12/23: A video showing manufacture of various patterns of drone munitions was shown in a video posted by Ukrainian combatants. In it a munition with frag sleeve is seen.

Update – 15/1/24: Video dating from Spring 2023 shows members of the 28th Mechanised Brigade operating what appears to be a fragmentation sleeve (or perhaps an improvised warhead) being fired from m RPG-7.

Update 25/03/24: A look at how some of the frag sleeves may be manufactured.

Thank you to Ukraine Weapons Warfare, AFV Recognition and Weapons Illustrated for their help tracking down some of the imagery used in this article/video.

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!

Ukrainian RPG-Shovel

On 17 October, a Ukrainian combatant shared a short video on his TikTok channel demonstrating a new piece of ordnance – the RPG Shovel. Earlier the same combatant had joked by sliding an entrenching shovel into the barrel of the RPG-7. Several other combatants have been seen to do this during the ongoing war in Ukraine but this combatant decided to make the joke a reality.

Ukrainian combatant with shovel slid into RPG-7 (date, location unknown)

Culturally, the RPG Shovel isn’t a new thing having been seen in photograph of soldiers from other countries messing around over the years and even appearing in the 2018 video game Far Cry 5. Before that, in 2016, it was added as a mod for the game Insurgency using an old photograph of Russian troops as reference. Whether this influenced the Ukrainian combatant to create his RPG-Shovel is unknown.

Far Cry 5’s RPG-Shovel

In the Ukrainian combatant’s video he shows how an adapter has been attached to the wooden handle of the shovel and to a threaded cap which allows the shovel to be screwed onto a PG-7S motor. The shovel itself appears to be an MPL-50 pattern shovel. The combatant then fits a booster onto the motor and takes the RPG-Shovel outside to be fired. It can also be seen that they have written a suitably derogatory message to the Russians on the shovel’s handle.

Homemade adapter & launch

The Ukrainian combatant then launches the RPG-Shovel at a high-angle. Its unclear what sort of range was achieved with the shovel’s aerodynamics being terrible. Sadly, the camera operator’s reasonable caution means that the actual launch is partially obscured but just enough is visible. It’s probably not the first time a shovel has been launched from an RPG, but it is probably the best in terms of close-ups and detail. Regardless, its seems to be a great example of bored soldiers finding amusing, ‘productive’ ways of occupying their time.

For other examples of improvised RPG warheads see our article/video on the fire extinguisher warhead developed by the Sheikh Mansur Battalion.

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!

Makeshift Fire Extinguisher RPG Warhead

In December images of Chechen volunteers fighting with the Ukrainian Armed Forces began to feature an interesting craft-made weapon – an RPG munition made from the body of a small fire extinguisher. 

These RPG-warheads improvised from fire extinguishers have appeared in numerous videos and photographs of the Sheikh Mansur Battalion. The battalion was formed back in 2014 and is made up of exiled Chechens who reject Russian control of their region. The battalion itself is named after an 18th century Chechen military leader Sheikh Mansur. The battalion had disbanded in 2019, but reformed in March 2022 following the invasion. Since then they have reportedly seen action during the Battle of Kyiv, in the Donbas, during the Battle of Sievierodonetsk and most recently in the fighting around Bakhmut. 

There’s a long history of improvised warheads adapted for launch from the RPG-7 but I think this is the first time I’ve seen a fire extinguisher body used, at least in this phase of the fighting in Ukraine. 

A section of the Sheikh Mansur Battalion, with a craft-made fire extinguisher munition, Bahkmut, December 2022 (via Sheikh Mansur Battalion)

It appears that the fire extinguisher body has been emptied and filled with whatever explosive and shrapnel material is readily available and then adapted to fit the sustainer motor and booster assemblies. They appear to use V-429 or V-429E point detonating fuzes. These fuzes were developed for use on high explosive (HE) projectiles used by various Combloc weapon systems including the T-12 and MT-12 100mm anti-tank guns and the 115mm main gun of the T-62 and 125mm main guns of the T-64, T-72, T-80 and T-90 series tanks. Some other fuzes appear to be used too but conceivably any impact fuze would work. The inertia armed fuzes normally arm within 5-15m of the muzzle once fired from a conventional barrel. It appears that the fuzes have been epoxied into place.

Close up of a craft-made fire extinguisher munition, Bahkmut, December 2022 (via social media)

How the mass and shape of the improvised round impacts the velocity of the warhead once it is fired is unclear. But Bild correspondent Bjorn Stritzel, who recently met with members of the Battalion while writing an article about them, told me that the range of the warheads is about 100m. He noted that the Chechen’s have found them to be ‘very effective in Bakhmut’ and that ‘apparently its firepower surprised RF entrenched in houses’ according to radio chatter picked up by the Battalion. 

While we don’t have a perfect close up of them the extinguishers themselves appear to be small 2kg (or 5lbs) units which contain powder. From a quick survey of some Ukrainian websites which sell the extinguishers, the price of these ranges between 300 and 500 Hryvnias (or $8 & $14).

A member of the Sheik Mansur Battalion demonstrates a craft-made fire extinguisher munition, Bahkmut, December 2022 (via Sky News)

The fire extinguisher rounds are probably being used as anti-personnel weapons which would be fitting for the sort of fighting occurring around Bakhmut where the majority of the imagery is said to be coming from. The thin steel body of the extinguisher may provide suitable fragmentation or depending on the metallurgy it may just rupture. According to Stritzel the filling of the warheads is around 50% explosive and 50% shrapnel material. He also noted that the Chechen’s described the warhead as being “three times more powerful than a normal OG-7V [fragmentation RPG-7 round]”. 

Two craft-made fire extinguisher munitions, Bahkmut, December 2022 (via Bjorn Stritzel)

The first video featuring the improvised warheads was published by the Sheikh Mansur Battalion on their social media in around mid December. In a Sky News report from the 22 December, a member of the Battalion demonstrates how one of the extinguisher warheads is loaded. A video posted to the Battalion’s social media on the 27 December showed a number, perhaps four, of the improvised rounds stacked ready for use with booster assemblies attached. 

On the 31 December, the Battalion shared a photograph of a group of eight Battalion members, one of which can be seen holding an RPG-7 with one of the improvised extinguisher rounds loaded. During the second week of January, a short, undated, video of an individual in a fighting position firing one of the craft-made warheads was shared. We get some idea of the weight of the round in this clip.

The most recent video (see stills above), posted on TikTok, on the 12 January, shows two of the improvised munitions being fired. These warheads follow the same design but differ slightly in that the fire extinguisher body appears to have been cut open at the centre and then welded back together. Perhaps this is done to easier fill the munition or perhaps to shorten a longer extinguisher body. For the first time we also get to see the explosion of the rounds down range. This video again gives us a good indication of the weight of the round from the movement of the shooter. It also illustrates the distances the rounds can travel. Notably it appears to be used here against a Russian field work rather than against a building.

With fighting continuing in Bakhmut we are likely to see more of these improvised fire extinguisher rounds in use, especially if they are as effective as the Sheikh Mansur Battalion suggest.

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!

Bibliography:

V429 Fuze, CAT UXO, (source)

V429E Fuze, CAT UXO, (source)

‘They prefer death to Russian torture’, Bild, (source)

The Chechens fighting Putin in Ukraine, Sky News, (source)

RPG-30: Russia’s Dual Tube Rocket Launcher

The RPG-30 is one of Russia’s more advanced disposable anti-armour weapons. Developed in the early 2000s by Bazalt it is designed to overcome reactive armour and active protection systems. It entered service in 2012 and has seen extensive use during the fighting in Ukraine. 

The 7P53 RPG-30 “Kryuk” or ‘Hook’ is a 105mm fin and spin stabilised rocket propelled munition with a tandem HEAT shaped charge warhead. The RPG-30 overcomes ERA and APS by using a 42mm IG-30 decoy projectile, which is believed to be inert, coupled with the main rocket’s tandem warhead. This can be seen in a secondary, thinner tube running along the side of the weapon. The precursor decoy causes premature activation of the APS and allows the main warhead to exploit the gap in the tank’s protection. The theory being that the target’s APS takes some time, perhaps half a second, before it can engage again. The gap between the firing of the two rockets is measured in milliseconds and the lag, while noticeable, does not appear to be significant enough to effect the user’s aim or accuracy on target.

RPG-30 (Vitaly Kuzmin CC BY-SA 4.0)

The RPG-30 uses the PG-30 tandem HEAT warhead, similar to the PG-27 used by the RPG-27. It can reportedly penetrate 750mm of rolled homogeneous armour and up to 650mm of rolled homogeneous armour after ERA. Effective range estimates vary with the average suggesting 200m.

The weapon’s sights are simple and consist of a folding ladder front sight and rear sight – there does not appear to be provision for mounting optics. Flipping up the rear sight also cocks the weapon. The disposable tube(s) is made of aluminium with a fibreglass outer layer. Sources suggest it weighs around 10.3kg (22.7lbs) and has an overall length of just over 1m (1,135mm/44.7in). 

A pair of RPG-30s captured in April 2022 (via Social Media)

Unlike other Russian weapon systems few videos of its use have been shared by Russian state media or Russia’s defence exports corporation Rosoboronexport. The ongoing war in Ukraine, however, has provided our first real look at the weapon in action. As soon as the Russian invasion was launched on 24 February, RPG-30s began to be seen in use with Russian forces. By late February and early March imagery of captured examples was shared on social media. 

Russian soldier posing with RPG-30, March 2022 (via Social Media)

The first images of the weapon came from Russian sources in late February, just after the invasion. This was quickly followed by imagery of captured examples, most notably from the column of Tigr-M armoured infantry mobility vehicles in Kharkiv.  A photograph of a further two captured RPG-30s appeared in April, while another example was photographed in Donbas in early May. Later in May a photo of a Russian soldier posing with one was shared on social media and in September significant caches of weapons were captured in Kherson and Balakliya. 

Still of a Russian soldier firing an RPG-30, August 2022 (via Social Media)

In late August we got our first brief look at the RPG-30 being fired in a montage video of VDV weapon systems (see image above). Earlier in mid-August a sort of ‘unboxing video’ was shared giving us a good close up look at some of the packaging the RPG-30s are shipped in and the markings on the side the weapon. Most recently in some further video of the RPG-30 being fired on a Russian Western Military District range also surfaced giving us a good look at the weapon in action.

RPG-30s captured in April (via Social Media)

Of course the weapon is designed to be simple to use, anyone with training on a similar shoulder-fired disposable anti-armour weapon can operate it. While it has been said that its widespread use in Ukraine is somewhat ironic given that Ukraine does operate any APS equipped tanks, the weapon is still useful against less sophisticated tanks. While the precursor might potentially deliver some limited kinetic damage to the ERA block, the RPG-30’s tandem warhead is capable of defeating the ERA fitted to most Ukrainian tanks, though of course, the same can be said of Russia’s other anti-armour weapons which use tandem warheads.

Update 27/10/22:

The Georgian Legion recently shared a short video looking at a captured RPG-30. The video also includes firing footage of the weapon.

Update 15/09/23:

Clip of a Ukrainian combatant firing a captured RPG-30 at the range.

If you enjoyed this video and article please consider supporting our work here. We have some great perks available for Patreon Supporters – including custom stickers and early access to videos! Thank you for your support!

Bibliography:

105mm PG-30 Rocket, CAT UXO, (source)

RPG-30 Kryuk (Hook), US Army TRADOC, (source)

Russian Army receives cutting-edge antitank rocket launchers, TASS, (source)

Ukrainian Training Videos: RPG-18

Since the war in Ukraine began on 24 February, the Ukrainian armed forces have been hastily putting together and sharing training films for various weapon systems. we’re sharing these so they’re saved for the historical record and so they can be easily found by those who might need them. We’ll try and give some context on the weapon’s origins and on who made the training video.

Demonstrating how to deploy the RPG-18, the tube isn’t fully extended as its a live weapon

In this well shot video a Ukrainian soldier demonstrates the features and handling of an RPG-18. The RPG-18 (‘Mukha’ or ‘fly’) was the first of the Soviet/Russian family of extendable tube launchers (very similar to the US M72 LAW). The RPG-18 was developed in the late-1960s and was introduced in the early 1970s. It has since largely been replaced by larger calibre and more capable launchers. The weapon is a simple, smoothbore, single-use launcher. It is constructed from an aluminium tube with an outer layer of fibreglass.

A close up of the RPG-18’s locking system, rear sight and trigger

It isn’t clear how many RPG-18 the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ may have had in inventory before the war began but it appears that the weapon seen in this video was made in East Germany and probably transferred by Germany as part of Germany’s military aid shipments to Ukraine. While Greece have also reportedly transferred a quantity of RPG-18s, we have seen other examples in the field with identical German instructions stickers.

The video first surfaced around the 21st March, posted by Vadim Kodachigov (the director of Kort, a military industrial company) on Facebook, though he may not be the original creator. Kodachigov appears to be part of a Territorial Defence Force unit. The video identifies the unit as part of the 112th Territorial Defense Brigade (Kyiv). The production value of the video is relatively high, with a title card, good editing, close ups and some interesting footage of the weapon being fired.

RPG-18 Specifications:

Warhead64mm HEAT 
Weight (round and launcher)5.7lbs (2.6kg)
Length27.8in (705mm) – collapsed 41.3in (1050mm) – extended
Effective Range220yd (200m)
Penetration11.8in (300mm) against RHA

If you enjoyed this video and article please consider supporting our work here. We have some great perks available for Patreon Supporters – including custom stickers and early access to videos! Thank you for your support!

Bibliography:

Earliest video source found: Vadim Kodachigov via facebook (source)

RPG-18, Military-Today, (source)

Ukrainian Training Video: RPG-76 Komar

Since the war in Ukraine began on 24 February the Ukrainian armed forces have been hastily putting together and sharing training films for various weapon systems. One of the most interesting weapons to be transferred to Ukraine is the Polish RPG-76 Komar (‘Mosquito’).

Demonstrating the controls of the RPG-76

The RPG-76 is essentially a smaller, lighter single-shot RPG-7, it has a folding stock and its round is adapted so its rocket nozzles are angled at 45-degrees to protect the user when firing. The RPG-76 was developed in the mid-1970s and entered production at Niewiadów in the mid-1980s. It was eventually withdrawn from general issue in 2003 but remained in Polish Army stores and saw some use with Polish troops during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

While the RPG-76 can reportedly penetrate up to 260mm of Rolled homogeneous armour (RHA) it lacks a tandem charge round which could engage targets, such as tanks, with explosive reactive armour. Despite this it should be more than capable of taking on most Russian light armoured vehicles and soft-skin vehicles like trucks.

Demonstrating aiming the RPG-76

The small number of examples seen in the field so far appear to date to the late 1980s. Poland announced they would be transferring military aid to Ukraine in early February and has since transferred ammunition, anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, mortars and provided medical supplies.

Another example of an RPG-76 in the field:

The video first surfaced around the 11th March, posted on Facebook by Vadim Kodachigov (the director of Kort, a military industrial company), though he may not be the original creator. Kodachigov appears to be part of a Territorial Defence Force unit, who may also feature in the video.

RPG-76 Specifications:

Warhead: 40mm HEAT 
Weight (round and launcher): 4.6lbs (2.1kg)
Length32in (805mm) – folded 43in (1190mm) – extended
Effective Range273yd (250m)
Penetration10.2in (260mm) against RHA

Watch the training video for the Stinger MANPADS here

If you enjoyed this video and article please consider supporting our work here. We have some great perks available for Patreon Supporters – including custom stickers and early access to videos! Thank you for your support!

Bibliography:

Earliest source found: Vadim Kodachigov via facebook (source)

RPG-76 Komar – Polish miniature grenade launcher: how to shoot with this weapon, Defense Express, (source)

Ukrainian Forces Takes Delivery of Polish RPG-76 Komar Rocket-propelled Grenade, MilitaryLeaks, (source)

Poland pledges to send weapons to Ukraine, Independent, (source)

Translation of video adapted from @mdmitri91’s translation