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.

Support Us: If you enjoyed this video and article please consider supporting our work here. We have some great perks available for Patreon Supporters – including early access to custom stickers and early access to videos! You can also find us on the History of Weapons & War app. Thank you for your support!

HK MG4 In Ukraine

On 23 December 2024 the German government confirmed that 200 Heckler & Koch MG4 5.56x45mm machine guns had been delivered as aid to Ukraine. The MG4s join the 7.62x51mm MG5s which have already been provided, along with a plethora of other HK small arms and light weapons including HK GMGs and a significant number of SFP9 pistols.

The MG4 was developed in the mid-1990s and adopted by the Germany Army in 2005. It is a gas operated light machine gun with an effective range of 600m. It weighs 8.7 kg (19.8lbs) unloaded, has an overall length of 1085mm (42.7in) and feeds from NATO standard disintegrating metal belts.

*MG4 with Thales Xtraim and magnifier (shybenyk.squad)*

While the delivery of MG4s was only confirmed in late December the guns appear to have arrived in country earlier with the first sighting of one coming on 3 December 2024. The initial sighting of the weapon was posted on Instagram by a Ukrainian combatant, likely a member of the GUR’s special operations teams. The initial photograph appears to have been taken indoors at a range and the flat dark earth colour across all parts of the weapon – rather than black or RAL8000, appears to indicate a base coat for a custom paint job. The weapon also has an FN Minimi belt box, while an adapter isn’t needed to use a Minimi box or bag, HK offers an adapter which enables more ergonomic mounting on the MG4.

A day later the same combatant posted a video showing him firing the MG4 on the move. From both the video and earlier photograph we can see that the weapon has the Gen 1 pattern fixed length, folding stock and a 17.7″ (450 mm) barrel. The gun is mounted with a Hensoldt RSA-S Reflex Sight on top of a Hensoldt 4x30i magnified optic.

On the 8 December the combatant shared another video, the MG4 is seen with the camouflage paint job completed and equipped with just the Hensoldt RSA-S, conducting training drills at a range.

On the 14 December, Shybenyk.Squad, another GUR team – associated with the Kraken Regiment, shared a photograph of a combatant with an MG4 notably fitted with a rare Thales Xtraim thermal fusion holographic sight and a magnifier. The MG4 is loaded with HK’s proprietary fabric soft ammo pouch. Several days later on 19 December, they shared a group photo taken in Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia. Speaking to a member of Shybenyk.Squad they shared some thoughts on the MG4 stating:

“the weapon is very reliable and highly accurate, it can withstand the heavy load of endless enemy assaults, requiring only periodic lubrication. The disadvantages include insufficient ergonomics and weight, with which it is difficult to control during assault actions.”

They went on to explain that they received spare barrels and spare parts for the weapon.

On the 20 December, MTAC, a Ukrainian military clothing and gear manufacturer, shared a photograph of the combatant with the MG4 – showcasing some MTAC products. The Hensoldt RSA-S reflex sight can again be seen.

On the 22 December, a member of the Delta Knights, an element of the GUR’s International Legion, posted a series of photos featuring an MG4. In the first he poses with a recently donated axe and in the second he showed his unit’s MG5 alongside the new MG4. In these photographs the gun is clearly unpainted and has a factory RAL8000 finish but has a black heat shield – this is seen on other examples too. It also has the same Gen 1 pattern fixed length, folding stock as seen on the earlier seen MG4. When asked what they thought of it Delta Knights simply replied “we love it so far”.

*A 7.62x51mm HK MG5 and 5.56x45mm HK MG4 (Kevin Vinje/Delta Knights)*

The most recent MG4 sightings, at the time of writing , appeared on 10 January 2025, when the Artan Special Unit, also affiliated with the GUR, shared a photograph of a combatant holding one of the machine guns, again with a RAL8000 finnish and mounted with a 4x30i Hensoldt optic with which it is likely the guns shipped with.

From the limited number of sightings of the weapons so far it appears that the MG4s have been predominantly issued to GUR teams including Delta Knights and Artan. With 200 guns delivered we will likely see MG4s appearing in imagery more often over the coming months.

Thank you to Matthias and DEaidUA for their invaluable help with this article/video. Thank you also to shybenyk.squad for sharing their thoughts on the MG4.

Update – 11/2/25: The GUR’s Artan Unit shared a team photo featuring an MG4 on 6 February.

Support Us: If you enjoyed this video and article please consider supporting our work here. We have some great perks available for Patreon Supporters – including early access to custom stickers and early access to videos! You can also find us on the History of Weapons & War app. Thank you for your support!

Heckler & Koch HK416s in Ukraine

We’ve examined a number of 5.56x45mm rifles in use with Ukrainian forces, notably the Colt Canada C7 and C8 and the M16A4 with many others to be covered in future articles/videos. In this article/video we’re going to examine HK416 use by Ukrainian personnel.

HK416s are far from a common weapon in Ukraine but recently there has been an increase in the frequency with which they have been seen. Since the beginning of 2023, there have been various configurations seen in the field with most being earlier variants of the HK416, likely with either 14.5 inch or 10.4 inch barrels paired with quad rail forends. There also seems to have been a small number of MR223, the civilian-market semi-automatic only version of the rifle, appear in imagery from the conflict.

One of the first HK416-pattern rifles seen in imagery from the conflict was shared in mid-May 2022 by a female Ukrainian combatant. An MR223 with a 16.5 inch barrel is seen leaning against a wall in the background of a photograph. What is believed to be the same rifle has been seen in another photograph mounted with a bipod and fitted with a long, over-barrel suppressor.

In January 2023, a photograph of a pair of SBU members wearing Saint Javelin shirts also featured an MR223A1. Another interesting photograph that appeared in January, features Ukrainian SOF members, one has an accessorised HK416 A5, identified by its adjustable gas block and less flat magazine well angle, with a Surfire SOCOM 556 [Correction: B&T Rotex] suppressor, a Sig Sauer Romeo4T or potentially a Holding 515 and a Stiener DBAL A3N laser module.

*A Ukrainian combatant fires a HK GLM-pattern UBGL attached to an HK416 (via social media)*

In March, a member of a Ukrainian special operations unit shared a photograph of himself with an HK416 with an 10.4 inch barrel and what appears to be an Aimpoint Comp. The same individual shared another photograph with the same rifle in early May, this time the carbine was fitted with what appears to be a Vortex Crossfire.

A note on nomenclature: the majority of the HK416s seen in Ukraine appear to be HK416 A2s, potentially of Dutch origin. Some sources describe these rifles using the ‘DxxRS’ designations such as D10RS for a 10.4 inch barrel carbines and D14.5RS for a 14.5 inch barrel rifles. This designation, however, doesn’t represent the various iterative changes in the rifles.

Another photograph believed to have been taken in early Spring features another unpainted HK416 A2 with a 10.4 inch barrel, note the folded front sight on the gas block which, fitted with an EOTech 5-series H WS. Another interesting photo, shared by a Japanese volunteer with the International Legion also features an HK416 fitted with a weapon light, a vertical foregrip and a Holosun HS510c reflex sight.

In April, a Taiwanese volunteer with the International Legion, shared several photos of his HK416 A2 with a 14.5 inch barrel fitted with an Aimpoint CompM5. In one photograph it has been paired with a GLM, 40mm underbarrel grenade launcher.

*A Dutch HK416 A2 with a Swedish Aimpoint Comp M5 used by a member of the International Legion (via social media)*

In response to questions he said he preferred the rifle to the FN SCAR-L as it is more durable but also noted that the HK416 was much heavier than the M4A1 he also used in Ukraine. He also shared a photograph of the rifle equipped with a EOTech 5 series holographic weapon sight. In one of the photographs he shared the rifle has an armoury ID tag on the left side of the magazine housing. This tag is similar to those used by the Dutch military, as seen on the C7A1 rifles which have been provided to Ukraine in large numbers. On many of the images of the rifles there are no clear markings to definitively indicate their country of origin. So the armoury ID tags with QR codes are potential indicators of Dutch origin.

On the 15 April the GUR shared an image with the International Legion, the GUR and the 10th Special Detachment to publicise a TV news piece about the Shaman Battalion. The context and date when photograph was taken remains unclear but the combatant featured in the image appears to have an HK416 with a 14.5 inch barrel. This photo may be a stock image and not one of Ukrainian origin.

In late April photographs of members of the 92nd Mechanised Brigade featured several combatants holding HK416 A2 w ith 14.5 inch barrels. The rifles are seen equipped with EOTech holographic weapons sights. Another photo, also believed to have been taken by a member of 92 OMBR, shows an HK416 A2, with a 14.5 inch barrel, a camouflage paint job, a Knights Armament Company-style vertical foregrip and an EOTech sight and EOTech G33 magnifier.

*A suppressed HK416 A2, with 14.5 inch barrel, used by Elite Global Response (via social media)*

In early May, Elite Global Response, a group which describes itself as a ‘private security company’, operating in Ukraine shared a number of posts on their Instagram page featuring several HK416 A2s. The rifles are seen fitted with a variety of suppressors (including Ukrainian Tihon suppressors) and optics including an TA11 ACOG and a Holosun AEMS. When asked about the rifles Elite Global Response said they’re “a lot lighter than previous weapons we’ve run [AK-74s and MSBS GROTs], less stoppages and easy to maintain.”

In mid May another photograph of an HK416 A2 was shared online equipped with a small optic. A member of a Ukrainian special operations unit shared a photograph on 18 May, showing a group of combatants, two of which have what appear to be HK416s, one unpainted and another painted with an ACOG mounted, both appear to have 10.4 inch barrels.

In late May photos of another 10.4 inch HK416 A2 were shared by a member of the 1st Assault Battalion of the 3rd Assault Brigade. The combatant’s rifle has a Surefire or possibly a Dead Air muzzle device and is mounted with a Leupold LCO optic and a magnifier. In one photograph the carbine is seen loaded with a 60-round D-60 drum magazine. Earlier footage shared in early May on TikTok suggests he’s been using the rifle since early 2023 and originally received it unpainted. When asked what he thought of the rifle he described it as “the best assault rifle there could be”. A short clip of the same combatant also shows him firing an HK GLM-pattern 40mm underbarrel grenade launcher. This older video also shows the rifle with a different muzzle device.

*A Ukrainian combatant with an HK416 with a 10.3 inch barrel, Leupold LCO and D-60 drum magazine (via social media)*

On the 5 June, a short clip of members of the Polish Volunteer Corps was shared showing a member of the unit clearing Russian positions with an HK416-pattern rifle – when the video was filmed is unclear. While the resolution is low the camouflage painted rifle appears to have a magnified optic, possibly an Aimpoint Comp and a CQB red dot sight. A few days later a body camera video of combatants from the International Legion showed another HK416-pattern rifle clearly with an armoury tag. While undated the video is said to have been filmed during fighting near Bakhmut. Most recently, on 12 June, another member of Ukraine’s special operations forces was seen with an HK416 A2 outfitted with an EOTech optic and magnifier.

While a number of countries that use the HK416 have provided military aid to Ukraine it seems that a significant proportion of the rifles seen in theatre originate from the Netherlands, with the rifles configurations, HK416 A2s with ambidextrous selectors and the presence of armoury QR tags, matching those used by the Dutch military. The Dutch Ministrie Van Defensie initially procured HK416s for their special forces in 2010 and have since procured further HK416 A5s. Regardless of origin how many of the Heckler & Koch rifles have been transferred to Ukraine is currently unclear.

HK417

There have also been a smaller number of 7.62x51mm chambered HK417s seen in use with various Ukrainian units. These rifles are believed to also have been transferred by the Dutch military with the configuration of the rifles matching those used by the Dutch. With few so far seen in theatre research is still ongoing. These will be the topic of a future video/article when more information is available.

Update – 19/6/23: Footage of a 10.3in HK416 A2 in use near Bakhmut, date unknown.

A short engagement featuring a suppressed HK416, likely an A2 with a 10.3 inch barrel. Said to be from recent fighting on the edges of Bakhmut.

More on HK416s in #Ukraine here: https://t.co/SxT9qKQ02v #UkraineWar #UkraineRussiaWar #HK416 pic.twitter.com/CLuFoFo4cv
— Historical Firearms | Matthew Moss (@historicfirearm) June 19, 2023

Bibliography:

Thank you to the guys at Streaking Delilah for sharing images they sourced and providing technical detail. Check out their instagram page here. Thanks also to Jonathan Ferguson for additional technical information.

HK416, Heckler & Koch, (source)

HK GLM, Heckler & Koch, (source)

HK416A5-geweer en HK417-precisiegeweer, Ministrie Van Defensie, (source)

Infantry Small Arms of the 21st Century, L. Neville, (2019)