Tag: Ukraine Russia War

Periscope Rifles in Ukraine

With the war in Ukraine’s current trench-bound stalemate often resembling the First World War it isn’t too surprising to see an early 20th century innovation making a comeback. Several variations on the concept of a periscope rifle have been seen in Ukraine since the summer of 2023.

A still from Heroes of Gallipoli (1915) showing a periscope rifle (via IWM)

The concept actually pre-dates the First World War, with sights like William Youlten’s Hyposcope dating to 1900, but really emerged during the war with many nations developing similar periscope-based systems that allowed service rifles to be mounted in frames and fired over the parapet removing the need for soldiers to expose themselves when sniping.

The first design featured in an article by Jeff Farrell in June 2023, Farrell interviewed a Czech veteran of the International Legion, Marian Simunek, who was wounded and has since developed a periscope which a rifle can be mounted in. In a pair of videos Simunek demonstrated fitting the rifle into the periscope mount and how it would be fired. Simunek manages to mount an AK-74 in the periscope mount within 30 seconds. The stock folds down from the body of the periscope and is secured with the pistol grip and trigger assembly being lined up, the stock of the rifle is secured by two straps and then the trigger cable is attached to the rifle’s trigger.

A second periscope design emerged in late January 2024, when a short video showing a tall tripod-mounted periscope was shared. The video shows the testing of a prototype gun mount which can be raised up to above parapet height and allows the gun to be aimed using the periscope the gun is show being tested in both semi-automatic and fully automatic. The trigger is attached to a command cable which runs down to a front grip with an exposed trigger in front of it. The tall monopod isn’t the most stable platform but the user demonstrating it supports the assembly using the integrated stock and pistol grip assembly and holds the stand with his off hand. While the ability to quickly raise and lower the rifle mounted on the stand is useful, especially for reloading, but it may lack stability in the field.

The third variation on the periscope rifle concept was shared on 18 March, with a short 22 second clip showing an AK-pattern rifle with its stock removed, mounted on a well fabricated pole with a periscope, an off hand support grip, a stock shaped like an AKS-74 folding stock and a pistol grip and trigger assembly which uses what appears to be a brake cable. In another video of the mount in the same position an individual demonstrates the articulation of the mount (albeit without a weapon installed). The mount has a wide tripod base and appears to be well made. The gun is set up in an urban environment behind a wall, likely for demonstration proposes. The this periscope rifle may be a more developed version of the previous design but I’ve been unable to find the original source for the video.

Interestingly, another video of as similar periscope rifle set up was shared, the design is clearly the same as that seen in the previous video. The shape of the stock has changed and the position and design of the stabilising forward hand grip differs.

While trench periscopes have been in use since the early weeks of the war, a more modern approach is the use of digital camera aimed remote weapons. These include the Shablya (sabre) remote weapon station developed by Roboneer, which has been in development since 2015 and has been tested with numerous different types of machine guns including PKs and M2 Brownings. Another similar system is the Tarantul, developed by engineers of the 118th Territorial Defence Brigade. This is a concept that Russian forces have also been experimenting with with a number of systems seen in test videos.

The available imagery of periscope rifle systems originating from the war in Ukraine is relatively small so its difficult to gauge their utility fully, I’ve yet to see any evidence of their front line use. They are a specialist piece of kit which depending on the design is suited to some environments more than others. If you’ve seen other examples of periscope rifle systems or evidence of their use in combat please do let me know!

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Swedish K In Ukraine – Update

A few of weeks ago I published an article/video detailing the appearance of Swedish Carl Gustaf m/45 9x19mm submachine guns in Ukraine. One notable feature of the guns was that their configuration appeared to sit somewhere between the m/45A and the m/45B.

In the absence of clearer information I referred to these as m/45Bs, the most common variant and one which has the defining fixed magazine housing rather than the earlier removable magazine well seen on the m/45A. The fixed magazine well is an upgrade which was made before the later m/45B refit. It seems that there was some fluidity to how the upgrades were carried out which has led to guns with a mix of features.

An upgraded m/45A with the 41st Mechanized Brigade (Daily Mail)

From Swedish sources I’ve spoken to many of the m/45s seen in the imagery from Ukraine are early spec guns (m/45As) which may have been in storage and were not refit to the m/45B pattern. The m/45B refit was partially necessitated by the need to add an additional retention method to hold the receiver end-cap in place. Some sources suggest this was due to a type of training ammunition then in use, others point to it being simply extra security.

An m/45B (top) and an m/45A (bottom) with the fixed-magazine well upgrade (Henrik Jansson)

Working theories explaining the configuration of the guns seen in Ukraine include: that they are m/45A configuration guns which had been in storage and were retrofitted after the training ammunition left service and the additional end cap retention was no longer needed, so this change to the guns was omitted. As mentioned earlier, another reason may be that these are m/45As which had the magazine well upgrade but were placed in store or transferred before the broader m/45B upgrade was carried out.

As discussed in the initial video, it is thought that Estonia is a likely source for these guns as they received some of these guns in the 1990s and these m/45s have then subsequently been sent to Ukraine. Regardless of origin country the result is guns which do not have the additional end cap retention catch nor the green finish of the Swedish Army’s m/45B. They all feature the fixed magazine housing but there is also a mix of larger and smaller perforations in the barrel shrouds. [Note: Thanks to Jonathan Ferguson who noted that there is some variation in the size of shroud perforations within examples of both A & B model guns.]

A combatant in Ukraine with an m/45 c.early 2024 (via social media)

Since the last video a couple of other sources showing the m/45 in Ukraine were shared with me. Including this image of a Ukrainian combatant with a Swedish K which has the smaller barrel shroud holes. On 10 February a Daily Mail report, featured Thunder Company, an element with the 41st Mechanised Brigade. Members of the company show journalist Richard Pendlebury an m/45 that is in their inventory. The company’s deputy commander describes it as a ‘museum piece’. Both guns appear to be of the same configuration generally seen in Ukraine. On 4 March, another short video of a Ukrainian combatant firing an m/45 at what appears to be a range was shared. It’s unclear when or where the video was filmed.

My very special thanks to Henrik Jansson for his time, insights and imagery and to numerous others for their knowledgeable input. Thank you to Weapons_Illustrated for their help sourcing imagery, check them out on twitter.

Update – 24/5/24:

On 11 April, a soldier of the 2nd Battery of the 2nd Self-Propelled Artillery Battalion of the Field Artillery Regiment of the 3rd Assault Brigade shared a photograph holding an m/45. [h/t Cloud for sharing].

Update – 18/6/24:

Update 4/9/24: A new image of the Swedish m/45 submachine gun recently surfaced. (H/T AbraxasSpa)

Update 3/10/24: A photograph of what may be a member of the Ukrainian 129th Territorial Defence Brigade or potentially a member of the International Legion. He’s equipped with an m/45, note the three magazines in his chest rig and Ukrainian digicam pattern sling.

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Ukraine’s Handheld FPV Killer?

This is the MSD-5, a small, hand-held shotgun-like device which has been suggested as an anti-drone weapon. With the massive increase in UAV and (first person view) FPV drone use various means of combatting them ranging from electronic warfare to simple hunting shotguns have been deployed by both sides.

In recent weeks a number of Ukrainian social media accounts have shared the idea of using the MSD-5 as a short-range defence against diving FPV drones. I hadn’t seen the weapon before and none of the posts about it explicitly mentioned its designation or manufacturer. I did some research and found that the small hand gun was called the MSD-5 and is manufactured by Stellarium SV, a company based in Chernihiv, in northern Ukraine.

An MSD-5 (via Sergey Flash)

In January, Sergey Flash (a Ukrainian serviceman and communication specialist) posted a video discussing the need for an immediate defence against FPVs and held up an MSD-5 describing it as “a possible way of protection” but emphasising that his aim wasn’t to advertise the device but simply call “attention to a possible remedy for the soldiers”.

Stellarium SV’s website explains that rather than being a weapon it is primarily sold as a signalling device with five different 12×88 cartridges available, two signalling cartridge types, a noise cartridge for scaring off animals, a cartridge which can extinguish flames and one for spraying plants to treat and protect them from various types of pests and diseases.

Here is a promotional video for the MSD-5:

It is unclear if the device is robust enough or has barrels suitable for firing something like birdshot pellets. Stellarium SV note that the device is made from “high-strength plastics based on reinforced polyamide” but do state that “the drum can be fitted with stainless steel or titanium liners.”. The device has 5 tubes or barrels and is electrically fired. It appears to have a cross bolt safety in front of the grip, below the exposed trigger. It weighs 800g and is powered by three CR123A batteries. Stellarium SV’s site lists the device’s price as 430 Euros.

On the 20 February, Flash posted another short video of himself firing MSD-5 at a range with the caption:

“Tested today the new cartridges for the “soldier’s weapon against FPV”. Specialists are working, I hope we will produce a product that we will give to every soldier. My task, after the product is ready for the series, is to achieve its introduction into the Armed Forces.”

An MSD-5 with its action open (Stellarium SV)

Along with the video he also posted a photograph of a target peppered with holes from small shot. The video shows the MSD-5 being fired with minimal recoil, suggesting a light load.

I reached out to Stellarium SV about the potential conversion of the MSD-5 into a personal anti-FPV weapon and they were keen to stress that this ” is not a use case that we endorse or support” and that they do not produce a cartridge capable of this and that anyone who made adapted cartridges is not related to Stellarium SV. The company did note that loading cartridges with shot was possible but getting the powder charge right was key. They also noted that the MSD-5 does not have sights which may make aiming difficult, though at the probable engagement ranges instinctive point shooting may be what Flash has in mind.

A test target photo posted by Sergey Flash (via Sergey Flash)

I also reached out to Sergey Flash to enquire about how he was adapting the MSD-5 but at the time of publication have not yet had a reply.
While the MSD-5 may not have been designed with an anti-drone role in mind, the concept of a similar handheld, lightweight, last-ditch, defence against FPVs seems a sensible answer to a urgent and difficult problem.

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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.

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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)


Ukraine’s ASRAAM-Supacat Franken-SAM

Earlier this week a short video featuring an ASRAAM-Supacat ‘Franken-SAM’ surfaced online. Early on 8 February, Ukrainian Telegram channels began sharing a video pulled from TikTok, which is likely the first daylight footage of one of the UK-developed and supplied ad-hoc air defence systems.

The system can be seen parked by the side of a road and was filmed (original source now private) from a passing vehicle. The date and location the video was filmed is unknown. The launcher appears to have two AIM-132 Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (ASRAAM) loaded with the launcher ramp raised in the ready position. It is difficult to make out but the cab has seemingly been fitted with a protective screen to guard against drone attack. Also visible is what appears to be a sensor turret mounted behind the cab, this is possibly an electro-optical/infrared sensor used for targeting.

Still from recently posted footage of an ASRAAM Franken-SAM in Ukraine, 8 Feb. 2024 (via social media)

The UK-developed system is one of several so-called Franken-SAMs produced by Ukraine’s allies. They are part of an effort to affordably and quickly bolster Ukraine’s air defences. In October 2023 a pair of videos shared by the Ukrainian air force gave a glimpse of the system in action. The both filmed at night shows a launch but the vehicle is not visible. The second, shared on 12 October, by Ukraine’s Air Command – South shows the successful engagement of a Russian long range loitering munition. As the darkness is lit up by the missile launch, the Supacat 6×6 High Mobility Transporter is briefly visible.

The AIM-132 missiles and the vehicles launching them were provided by the UK in the summer of 2023. ASRAAM uses infrared homing and can lock onto its target after launch. It has an air-launched range of more than 25km but this is likely shorter when used in a ground launched role. The system may be used in conjunction with radar systems which feeds target data to the missile. A key feature of the ASRAAM is its ability to lock-on after launch, theoretically allowing it to be vectored onto a target in the air before it begins IR homing.

A photo dating from August 2023 of a Supacat High Mobility Vehicle mounted with a pair of MBDA UK ASRAAMs (Ukrainian Ministry of Defence)

The system, however, isn’t ideal with limited ready-to-fire capacity on the launcher ramp, with just two rails, and no protection for the missiles themselves, from either the elements or from potential fragmentation or impact damage if attacked. The ad-hoc air defence system first saw action in Ukraine in August 2023, and represents an ingenious improvisation utilising a highly capable missile in an air defence role it was never envisaged in. In December 2023 UK Ministry of Defence summarised their development:

“In summer 2022, a joint MoD-MBDA team developed air defence systems to fire ASRAAM from the ground for the first time. Within four months of initiating the surface launched ASRAAM project, these air defence systems were developed, manufactured, trialled and Ukrainian crews trained on their usage, on UK soil, before being transferred into Ukrainian hands.”

It is unclear how many of the systems have been assembled but in late 2023, it was reported that the UK had supplied “a handful” of the missile-equipped Supacat trucks. They were believed to be in use in near the front and in the Kyiv region, defending key infrastructure, against Shahed-136/Geran-2 long-range loitering munition attacks.

In December 2023, the UK Ministry of Defence announced that a further 200 ASRAAMs would be provided to Ukraine and that the systems in-country had achieved a “successful hit rate reported as high as 90% against some Russian air targets.”

This article originally appeared at OvertDefense.com

Update 16/04/24:

Short video showing a close up and launch of what appears to be an ASRAAM missile. Posted on Telegram on 14 April.

Update 16/09/24:

A brief video showing a launch of a missile from the HMT-mounted ASRAAM air defence system.

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Vintage Weapons In a Modern War: Swedish K in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine has seen a plethora of vintage weaponry being used by both sides. Everything from M1910 Maxims to TT pistols. One of the more surprising vintage weapons to turn up is the classic ‘Sweden K’. The Kulsprutepistol m/45 (Kpist m/45) perhaps better known as the Carl Gustaf M/45 has appeared in imagery from Ukraine numerous times over the past two years.

The most likely origin of the venerable submachine guns is either Sweden itself, whose home guard ceased using it in 2007, or Estonia, which received a number of the weapons from Sweden in the 1990s and for a time issued them to elements of thier Defence League.

Manufactured by Carl Gustafs stads gevärsfaktori from 1945 through to the mid-1960s the m/45 is a standard blowback submachine gun chambered in 9x19mm. The initial version had a detachable magazine well that enabled the weapon to feed from either a 36-round magazine or from Suomi KP/-31 (m/37-39 in Swedish service) magazines. The later m/45B variant permanently attached the magazine well limiting the weapon to feeding from the standard 36 round box magazines. The m/45B also incorporated a reinforced receiver end cap.

The earliest sighting of a ‘Swedish K’ in Ukraine I’ve found dates to early March 2022 when a member of the Krym Battalion posted a photograph of some of the weapons available to him; an AK-74, a Walther P99, an M7 bayonet and a Carl Gustaf M/45B.

Another image of a Ukrainian serviceman with an M/45 surfaced around the 23 March, but I’ve been unable to find the original source for the image so have little context for it.

In early May an photograph of an older member of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was shared on a number of sites, he’s seen sat in a vehicle holding up an M/45 with a sling attatched.

In mid-May 2022 another M/45 surfaced in a photograph from a member of Krym Battalion, which is a part of the International Legion. It’s unclear if this photograph was posted by the same member who shared a photograph of his weapons in March, but the wear marks on the gun appear quite similar.

On 10 November, a daily update post from the Ukrainian General Staff included a photograph of an individual holding an M/45 with a sling, while the unit the individual belongs to isn’t stated given the contents of the post he may have been assigned to a unit on the border with Belarus.

Throughout most of 2023 sightings of M/45s were rare but in mid-June a member of the National Guard posted a short video featuring himself holding a Swedish K as other members of his unit walk behind him, two of the passing men also carry slung M/45s.

On the 28 September, a Swedish volunteer posted a photograph of himself holding an M/45 he came across on the frontline, he captioned the post: “Photo of when I found a mint condition Swedish K with 39B ammo out close to the front. Just an awesome rare Swedish Gun to see in use by a Medic.” The unit where the M/45 was encountered was the 131st Separate Recon battalion. This suggests the photograph may have been taken earlier in the summer of 2023 and also that M/45s may be used by medics. The mention of the Swedish 39B 9mm ammunition which was specifically issued with the M/45 is also interesting. Most notably, however, is the presence of the attachment assembly for an original Swedish spent cartridge case catcher bag.

October saw the first video of a Swedish K being fired. A short clip was shared on Instagram showing an M/45B being fired at the range with what appears to be a red dot optic mounted forward on the perforated barrel shroud.

Several months later, on 11 December, a medic with the 12th Ukrainian National Guard Brigade “Azov” shared a photograph of himself holding an M/45. Later in December a member of the 78th Separate Assault Regiment ‘Herts’ shared a photo, on 21 December 2023, with the caption ‘lend lease again’, he’s holding up a behind him can be seen several DP-27 light machine guns and some AK-pattern rifles.

Interestingly, none of the M/45s have the green paint finish which was used on some of the Swedish Armed Forces’ guns but have clearly shipped with original slings and in one case a brass catcher attachment. Also none of the guns in the imagery from Ukraine appear to have the end cap reinforcement typically see on the Swedish Army’s M/45Bs. While the guns have the M/45B’s fixed magazine well they don’t seem to have the characteristic pair of rivets and hooked end cap. It’s difficult to positively identify the variant as the guns’ markings aren’t visible in any of the imagery. With little context for some of the imagery and relatively few sightings of the guns in Ukraine its difficult to pinpoint the types of unit which are receiving them but it is conceivable that the guns have been decimated amongst a number of different types of unit including frontline elements of the Ukrainian National Guard, International Legion and Army.

Update – 21/01/24: From Swedish sources I’ve spoken to these M/45s are early spec guns which may have been in storage and were refit later. Retrofitted with fixed magazine wells but not the reinforced end cap as the ammunition that necessitated this was no longer in use.

Update – 22/01/24: Another photograph posted November 2023.

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Bibliography:

thank you to the researchers at Weapons Illustrated, Cloooud and Ukraine Weapons Warfare

https://www.gotavapen.se/gota/artiklar/kpist/swede_45.htm 

Swedish RBS-17 Missiles in Ukraine

In June 2022 Sweden announced it would provide Robot-17 (RBS-17) coastal defence missiles to Ukraine. These missiles are used by Sweden’s Amphibious Corps to interdict the movement of enemy vessels along Sweden’s coast.

RBS-17 is a Bofors Defense (now Saab Bofors Dyanmics) led development of the AGM-114 Hellfire. Work on the Swedish coastal defence missile began in the 1980s. It is man-portable with the missile weighing 48kg in addition to the launcher, firing system and laser targeting module. It is typically operated in the field by five man teams, with two operating the laser targeting system and three on the weapon itself.

RBS-17 launch October 2023 (via social media)

On launch the missile climbs to several hundred metres and seeks the laser-marked target. The system has a maximum range of around 8km and carries a 9kg high explosive warhead. While designed to engage vessels the RBS-17 can also be used against ground targets.

On 2 June 2022, the Swedish government announced the transfer of an undisclosed number of RBS-17s. They are believed to have been seen in theatre for the first time in a video published on 20 October, although it appears it may have been filmed earlier. The video was shared by a group called ‘Bigcats’, the lo-res clip shows the launch of a pair of missiles. ‘Bigcats’ haven’t shared any further imagery of the missiles since.

In September 2022 the Norwegian government also announced plans to provide Ukraine with their Hellfire-derived Norwegian Shore Defence Missile System. The transfer of 160 missiles and associated equipment was announced in response to a Ukrainian request. In late March 2023 photographs of several pieces of wreckage from one of the missiles was posted on Telegram. It was hypothesised that they were found in the area of ​​the Kinburn Spit and had been fired across the water by an element of the 73rd Naval Center of Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces.

An RBS-17 launch, c.September 2022 (via social media)

It was over 8 months before another video of a the weapons in action was shared. In mid-August 2023 a brief clip was published showing a Hellfire-patterned missile (which may be an RBS-17) being fired and apparently detonating downrange. Several months later at the end of October perhaps the best piece of footage of one of the missiles being launched was shared. In the video we can see the missile being launched and as the camera pans the laser targeting module can also be seen.

In August 2023, Army Inform, the news agency of Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, published an article outlining how the RBS-17 is used noting that it is most frequently used against Russian defensive positions, dugouts or lightly armoured vehicles. The article included a photograph of a display showing the RBS-17 set up. In the background a Ukrainian combatant can be seen sat on a missile case, he’s wearing the patch of the Zaporizhzhia-based 27th River Fleet Division (27 ODnRK).

An RBS-17 launch in Ukraine Nov/Dec 2023 (via Swedish MoD)

On the 18 December, the Swedish government published an article about Ukraine’s use of the RBS-17 and the training the Swedish armed forces provided on the system. The article explains that Ukrainian personnel were secretly trained on the system. The training appears to have been carried out during Summer 2022 and took place in time to coincide with the delivery of the RBS-17s. Swedish personnel have also continued to be on call for answering the technical and operational queries of the Ukrainian teams using the system.

The Swedish article also included a short video of one of the missile systems in operation in Ukraine. The team appears to be in cover behind a wall. The GoPro footage shows the missile near by and the control unit as well as transport cases near by. A Polish MSBS Grot rifle can also be seen leaning on the wall next to the operator.

Update – 22/05/24:

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The Rarest Grenade Launcher in Ukraine

Remarkably, a rare prototype Colt stand-alone stock chassis for the M203 40mm grenade launcher has been spotted in Ukraine. Our friends and colleagues at StreakingDelilah received some photographs and video of the prototype stock in November. They have kindly allowed me to share them here.

The stock chassis turns the M203 into a stand-alone launcher. It belongs to a Ukrainian Combatant with the GUR’s ‘Kraken’ Unit. M203 launchers were first seen in Ukraine in January 2023, when members of the 47th Mechanised Brigade were seen equipped with M16A4s with M203 under-barrel grenade launchers.

A still from a video showing the Colt M203 chassis at a range in Ukraine (via StreakingDelilah)

The chassis were reportedly made in both fixed stock and collapsing stock configurations. The one seen in Ukraine has a CAR-15 style adjustable collapsing stock. The chassis system takes a standard M203 under-barrel grenade launcher with heat shield and provides a platform which can be shouldered. According to friends at the Colt AR-15 Resource, the chassis was reportedly developed for an undisclosed US organisation, possibly US Special Operations Command or one of the alphabet agencies. It is thought that less than 30 were manufactured.

While there is little solid information available on these chassis it has been suggested that the project dated from before the start of the so-called ‘Global War on Terror’, and perhaps as early as 1992. Some samples were also reportedly made for external customers like El Salvador. The Colt-made stand alone chassis are a concept which has been replicated more widely by other manufacturers since.

The Colt AR-15 Resource shared some video of one of the fixed stock variants from a collector’s show:

The combatant in Ukraine shared several photographs of the M203 stand alone chassis. One appears to have been taken in a frontline trench while another shows it lying next to an FN SCAR-L and a couple of 40mm LV HEDP grenades.

The sight assembly appears to be unique to the chassis and combines a a rear sight which is graduated out to 250-300 metres with a front sight. It does not appear to have a quadrant sight mounted for longer range fire. The weapon operates just as the M203 normally would with the barrel sliding forward to open the action. Unlike the M203 under-barrel configuration the stand alone launcher has a pistol grip.

Some, but not all, examples of the chassis are marked with ‘COLT’s’ on the rear of the chassis above the pistol grip on the left side. Serial number markings are found on the launcher itself, on the trigger mechanism housing.

The rare chassis has also turned up in Afghanistan with StreakingDelilah sharing this photograph of a member of the Taliban with one.

It is unclear how the rare chassis came to see service on Ukraine’s frontline but StreakingDelilah believe it may have been privately acquired through a surplus dealer, though they stress this is unconfirmed. It has been interesting to see the proliferation of stand alone grenade launchers in use with both sides during the war in Ukraine, but I never expected to see this rare Colt-made stand alone chassis.

Updated – 15/11/24: Another image featuring the launcher recently appeared in a Kraken fund-raising post. [H/t – Larry]

Special thanks to StreakingDelilah and The Colt AR-15 Resource for their help.

Update – 8/1/25:

Another standalone M203 has appeared in Berdin, Kursk, captured by personnel of Russia’s Kachtan battalion. StreakingDelilah have confirmed that it is not the same M203 seen in use with a Kraken member. This indicates that more than one of these rare grenade launchers has found it’s way to Ukraine.

https://twitter.com/historicfirearm/status/1877106704384496108?t=tycwCxVuGBT1PRzeiSwSrA&s=19

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HK MG5s in Ukraine

A dozen different types of light and general purpose machine guns are in use in Ukraine, one of the newest is the Heckler & Koch MG5.

In May 2023, the German government announced a package of aid which would include 100 HK MG5 7.62x51mm general purpose machine guns. In September, evidence of their arrival in theatre began to surface with Ukrainian combatants sharing imagery of the brand new weapons.

The transfer of MG5s by the German government is interesting as the Bundeswehr themselves have only recently begun to receive the guns. The MG5 officially entered German service in 2015 but procurement has only recently ramped up with around 10,000 currently estimated to be in inventory. The MG5 is a gas-operated 7.62x51mm general purpose machine gun with a variable rate of fire and is intended to replace the MG3. It fires from an open bolt and it’s action is locked by a rotating bolt head. The guns themselves are listed on the German government’s aid-tracking page as “being deliveries from industry stocks financed by German funds for security capacity building.” This indicates that the transfer was probably not made direct from Bundeswehr stores.

Jurado posted the first photo of an MG5 in Ukraine (via Social Media)

On 20 September, Jurado – a Spanish member of the International Legion, shared the first photograph of an MG5 in Ukraine. Several days later on 22 September, omega_team_gur shared another photograph of the MG5 at the range. According to Jurado his unit received three of the guns.

A week later Greek International Legion members shared the first video of one of the guns mounted on a Lafette tripod. Through discussions with some of the combatants whose units have received the MG5s not all the guns came with tripods. A member of a Ukrainian Military Intelligence Directorate, the GUR, team told us that the guns came in bags with accessories including an optic, bipod, cleaning kit, manual and spare barrel.

An MG5 in its transport bag (via Social Media)

A member of the GUR, callsign Shock, shared a photo with an MG5 on 28 September, and several more the next day. Shock told TAB that his unit had received two of the MG5s and that while they’re cool pieces of kit the are heavy “13+ kg without ammunition” [HK lists the MG5A2’s weight as 11.5kg or 25lbs]. Shock’s team appears to be one of the few GUR teams not made up of international volunteers to receive the guns. He also shared a photograph of two MG5s sat in their transport bags.

On the 30th September Omega Team shared another group photograph featuring an MG5 and several days later on 2 October, a member of the GUR’s Shaman battalion, shared a photograph of himself holding a new MG5. Another member of the Shaman battalion also shared a photograph of an MG5 in its transit case/bag. It can seen fitted with a Hensoldt 4x30i optic and a cleaning kit and a number of belt pouches can be seen in the case. Knights, another GUR team, shared a photograph featuring an MG5 on 6 October. This was followed on the 10 October by a unit photograph with an MG5 seen at the back of the group. During the same week, another SOF group made up of international volunteers, Black Maple, also shared a photograph featuring an MG5.

An MG5 mounted in a Lafette tripod at the range (via Social Media)

Another team, Operation 21 Group, posted a photograph on 16 October of an MG5 mounted on a Lafette tripod at the range. The gun is again paired with the Hensoldt optic. On around the 17 October, a member of the Kraken Regiment, also part of the GUR, posted a photograph holding one of the MG5s. Several days later the first glimpse of an MG5 being used in combat was shared by a GUR team, the MG5 can be heard firing and is just visible though the foliage.

On the 22 October the GUR’s Stugna Battalion also shared a promotional video featuring one of the MG5s. On 24 October imagery from a number of photographers showed members of the International Legion’s new Siberian Battalion training. Amongst an interesting array of small arms the battalion’s trainees also appeared to have a single MG5.

The team at GRaft, a Ukrainian company which fabricates ammunition boxes for machine guns, shared some video of testing of one of their boxes with an MG5 in late October. At the beginning of November Tactical Group Athena, another GUR team, shared a team photograph featuring not one but two MG5s.

Later in November, the Knights shared a series of photographs and clips featuring the MG5. The first was posted on 4 November, showing the gun in a fighting position. This was followed on the 13 November, by a short video of an MG5 firing from its bipod in a frontline position in the trenches feeding from a British 7.62x51mm ammunition box. I spoke to one of the members of Knights about the MG5 and they described it as ‘a fantastic weapon’ and while “a bit on the heavy side [it’s] still a good weapon system and we love to use it!”

A member of Rogue Team holds an MG5 in a frontline trench (via Social Media)

Omega team shared another group photo featuring an MG5 on 12 November. Later that week Rogue Team posted a photograph of two combatants in a frontline trench, one is seated holding an MG5. A week later the GUR shared a video on their YouTube channel about their amphibious operations in Crimea, on 16 November, with an MG5 briefly appearing in part of the sequence. Towards the end of November a video from the Knights team thanking people for kit donations also featured an MG5. On the 14 November, an element of the Kraken Regiment, Special Assault Company, shared a promotional video featuring a drive by with an MG5 being fired out the window of a vehicle at a range. On the 19 November Rogue Team shared a team photograph, with one combatant holding an MG5, a day later a member of the team shared a short clip from the range showing the MG5 in action with the caption ‘I love MG5’. Finally, on the 26 November another MG5 was seen in a photograph of members of Kraken.

All of the guns appear to have HK’s RAL 8000 (FDE-ish) finish and are of the MG5 A2 configuration with the shorter 460mm (18in) barrel. The guns also appear to have been provided with Hensoldt 4x30i ‘intermediate range targeting optics’. From the imagery which has surfaced so far we can see that the MG5s have predominantly been issued to special operations forces including teams from the GUR and possibly the SSO. Despite the small number of guns officially confirmed to have been transferred they have been widely photographed in theatre and when asked by TAB comments from combatants using them have largely been positive. It is unknown what quantity of spares were provided with the guns or if more may be provided by Germany in the future.

Thank you to friends at Cloooud and at StreakingDelilah for their help gathering imagery for this video.

Update – 2/12/23:

Ukrainian combatant, Valgear, shared a photo of an MG5 in a Lafette tripod fitted with a thermal optic. Both the gun and optic have apparently been damaged by shrapnel.

Update – 03/12/23:

Machine gun training (Bundeswehr/KSK)

The Bundeswehr issued a statement on training Ukrainians SOF members and shared a photograph of Ukrainians training on MG3 and MG5 machine guns. Unlike the guns seen in Ukraine the MG5s have 550mm (22in) barrels.

Update – 9/12/23:

Another GUR team, Stugna, have shared photos of an HK MG5 in recent weeks.

Update – 13/12/23: The recently formed Sibir Battalion were photographed again training with an MG5.

Update – 11/1/24: GoPro footage of an MG5 in action, reportedly from the GUR’s Rogue Team.

Update – 18/2/24: A platoon of the Sibir Battalion photographed with an MG5.

Update – 16/04/24: HK MG5 with optic.

Update – 7/6/24: Rogue, a GUR direct action team, shared some video of their machine gun team in action near Kupyansk in November 2023. It gives a great look at the MG5 in action and also features a brief glimpse of the gun’s spare barrel and it’s reload drills.

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Bibliography:

Military Support for Ukraine, Bundesregierung, (source)

HK MG5, Heckler & Koch, (source)

MG5 – Bundeswehr Receives Additional Machine Guns, S&T, (source)

For more on Germany’s aid to Ukraine check out deaidua.org

Swedish G3s in Ukraine?

In recent weeks imagery from Ukrainian social media accounts has emerged to suggest that Swedish G3-pattern, Ak4B, rifles may have begun to be issued to units in Ukraine. Several photographs and videos have been shared via social media by Ukrainian combatants featuring the distinctive rifles. Further investigation, however, suggests the rifles may not be in use in Ukraine.

Still from a video of a Ukrainian sniper firing an Ak4B at the range, 17 November (via social media)

The initial imagery posted by two accounts appear to feature three of the rifles, all of the rifles seen appear to have tape on their butts. They are all fitted with scopes with at least one optic appearing to be a Schmidt & Bender PM II 3-12×50.

Photograph posted by a Ukrainian showing an Ak4B at the range fitted with a PMII optic, 20 November (via social media)

The Swedish Ak4 is license-manufactured version of the 7.62×51mm Heckler & Koch G3. Produced by Carl Gustafs stads gevärsfaktori and Husqvarna Vapenfabrik, the Ak4 entered Swedish service in 1965. It was replaced by the 5.56×45mm Ak5 in the mid-1980s but today remains in service with Sweden’s Hemvärnet (home guard).

In 2002, Sweden upgraded the first Ak4s to the Ak4B standard. Removing both front and rear iron sights and adding a length of Picatinny rail for mounting an optic. The rifles seen in the recent photographs have also been outfitted with a tri-rail forend, these are produced by a number of manufacturers, including Swedish Ordnance, and an adjustable bipod.

Photo of a Ukrainian sniper firing an Ak4B at the range, 17 Nov., note the railed forend and bipod (via social media)

Notably in January 2023, Sweden announced a major aid package for Ukraine which was said to include ‘assault rifles’ it is unclear if these rifles were Ak4s or another weapon. I reached out to the Swedish government about whether the recently sighted rifles had been provided to Ukraine but no comment was provided at the time of publication.

Photo showing a pair of Ak4Bs with optics c.19 November (via War_Noir)

Subsequent social media posts and conversations with Ukrainian personnel who shared imagery suggests that the rifles are Ak4s. However, they aren’t in Ukraine but Latvia.

Latvia received a number of Swedish Ak4s and they are currently used by the Latvian National Guard. The Latvians are in the process of replacing the rifles with G36s, however, some may continue in the designated marksman role. It appears that the imagery posted by the Ukrainian combatants which features the rifles was taken during training in Latvia. Latvia has so far trained 3,000 Ukrainian personnel. From posts on their social media it appears that elements of Ukraine’s 3rd Shock Brigade are currently in Latvia.

The author of this photograph (featuring another Ak4B in the same configuration) confirmed that it was not taken in Ukraine (via social media)

Another Ukrainian combatant who shared another photograph of the muzzle end of an Ak4, notable for its ground off front sight, seemingly taken in the back of a truck also confirmed that his photograph was not taken in Ukraine but Latvia.

There has previously been confusion around whether a weapon is in use in Ukraine or whether Ukrainian troops are simply using the weapon while training abroad. This has been seen with the SA80 in the UK and the HK G36 in Spain and Lithuania.

In addition to Latvia, Sweden also provided Lithuania with Ak4 pattern rifles, these are now in service with the Lithuanian National Defence Volunteer Forces. Similarly, Sweden also provided the Estonian Defence Forces with Ak4s. These countries have also provided training. Given the levels aid provided by Sweden and the three Baltic states it is possible we may eventually see Ak4 pattern rifles in Ukrainian service. Despite anticipation of seeing G3s in Ukrainian service, these rifles do not represent the first G3-pattern rifles to be seen in Ukraine.

Update – 19/2/24: Several G3s in the same configuration as those seen in earlier Latvia training photos recently surfaced.

10/9/24 – Update: another photograph of hat appears to be an AK4 with Ukrainian personnel, location unknown.

The photograph above is one of a series taken by Ukrainian photographer Yara.sva, the photographs are tagged as being taken in Ukraine.

Update 19/9/24:

The 3rd Assault Brigade has shared a detailed album of photos showing marksmen from the brigade training with what appear to be AK4Bs. The location the photographs were taken is not disclosed but there is nothing to confirm that the training was undertaken in Ukraine and no information in the original post’s caption. It is possible that, like earlier AK4B photos, these were taken during training outside of Ukraine, likely in one of the Baltic states. The photographs appear to have been taken at the same time (and possibly by) those shared earlier by Yara.sva.

Update 1/10/24: Additional photos by Yara.sva featuring an AK4.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DAiieYKIn1o/?igsh=b2YwaXoxdmt6NmRi

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