Guns of Ukraine war picture thread

If it doesn't fit the topic in any of the other forums, and is firearm-related, put it here!
User avatar
Suck My Glock
ArizonaShooting.org Member
ArizonaShooting.org Member
Posts: 8816
Joined: May 25th, 2018, 3:01 pm
Reputation: 8
Location: Peoria

Re: Guns of Ukraine war picture thread

#436

Post by Suck My Glock »

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MkR50XJZjvw

Hey, that drone's got some balls! Kinda makes me think about when the war is eventually over. Kids will get their hands on cheap toy drones. I wonder if they'll use them to chase each other around the playground trying to tag each other playing "Angels & Orcs" like we used to play Cowboys & Indians. "Boom! I just wiped out your squad!" "No you didn't!" "Did too!" "Did not!" "Did too!" "Did not!"
Image

Keeping watch with a suppressed Zbroyar Z-10.
Image

A soldier of the Ukrainian 103rd Separate Territorial Defense Brigade with a donated FN FAL 50.00 in the DMR role, using a ATN MARS LT 320 4-8X thermal optic and bipod, the latter purchased privately.
Image


User avatar
Suck My Glock
ArizonaShooting.org Member
ArizonaShooting.org Member
Posts: 8816
Joined: May 25th, 2018, 3:01 pm
Reputation: 8
Location: Peoria

Re: Guns of Ukraine war picture thread

#437

Post by Suck My Glock »

Why is there an ammo shortage at the front (on both sides)? Well, maybe this is a clue? The Russian Kord 12.7x108mm (which has replaced the Dshk in Russian service) is an incredibly robust and reliable weapon. And Russians tend to be knuckle-dragging fools when it comes to abusing their weapons. With the wide open plains of the south, heavy MGs hammer outward from the trenches at just about everything except tanks. But this one was captured by the Ukrainians back in October on the outskirts of Bahkmut and turned on the Russians in one of their several frontal assaults across the sunflower fields.
Image

Call sign: Pookie Bear
Image

Image

Relaxing with a Polish Grot and a pupper. Notice the pup has had his identity disguised for OPSEC.
Image

And of course in any war, there are spies. Ukrainian intel agents uncovered an FSB guy under cover as a trainer at a base for new troops who was trying to pass information on troop movements. Here are the weapons he had in his residence. The customized 1911 is a bit of a surprise. Not too many of those floating around Ukraine. Maybe he thought having an American gun helped hide his real attitude?
Image

A suppressed Snipex Alligator 14.5x114mm working the fields outside Bakhmut.
Image

Blasting borscht bastards bombarding Bakhmut behind bushes in a blowing blizzard with a black Barrett, baby.
Image

Here's an example of a parts gun assembled in theater; semi-auto Adams Arms lower receiver and free float tube assembled with a Daniel Defense buttstock and unknown upper receiver.
Image

If you look very closely, despite editing of the image, you can see this is marked as a Z-15, made locally by Zbroyar, a division of UKROM. And the magazines are not the standard NATO mags,...they are missing one of the reinforcing ribs along the side that are normally seen. Looking more closely in the magazine itself, you see the ammo is not .223 but 5.45x39!
Image
User avatar
Suck My Glock
ArizonaShooting.org Member
ArizonaShooting.org Member
Posts: 8816
Joined: May 25th, 2018, 3:01 pm
Reputation: 8
Location: Peoria

Re: Guns of Ukraine war picture thread

#438

Post by Suck My Glock »



When your field medic is also a frustrated tattoo artist.
Image

Some Lithuanian volunteers pose with a suppressed Steyr AUG and a Barrett MRAD.
Image

Putting in some range time with a Stetchkin.
Image

Keeping watch in the Carpathian Mountains on the border with Transnistria, with an Accuracy International AX308.
Image

User avatar
xerts1191
ArizonaShooting.org Member
ArizonaShooting.org Member
Posts: 12215
Joined: May 28th, 2018, 7:25 pm
Reputation: 5
Location: Arizona

Re: Guns of Ukraine war picture thread

#439

Post by xerts1191 »

Thanks SMG, always interesting
User avatar
Suck My Glock
ArizonaShooting.org Member
ArizonaShooting.org Member
Posts: 8816
Joined: May 25th, 2018, 3:01 pm
Reputation: 8
Location: Peoria

Re: Guns of Ukraine war picture thread

#440

Post by Suck My Glock »

Image

If I win the Powerball, I won't say anything,...but there will be clues.
Image

A Russian sniper with his uncommon and not often seen Lobaev TSVL-8 Stalingrad sniper rifle chambered in .338Lapua, photographed last year near Lyman.
Image

At a Territorial Guard range in Lviv;...supressed short carbine on the left is a Grand Power Stribog 9mm.
Image

As I have mentioned in here several times, Ukraine had rather liberal gun ownership (by European standards) and many gun owners took their ownership rather seriously, especially after the first invasion in 2014. Practical shooting leagues sprang up and the sport was growing. In the course of my perusing sources of photographs of the ongoing conflict, I have also encountered lots of photos from before the current war. I thought it might be interesting to see how our sport shooting brothers over there were doing before the current unpleasantness. Here are photos from the Ukraine National Rifle Championships in 2015, less than a year after the 1st invasion.
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
As you may have noticed here, there is a dominant preference for the AR15 system, with only one Steyr AUG present, and not a single AK in evidence. Keep in mind that at this time, Ukraine's armed forced had not yet begun transitioning to the AR rifle. They had dabbled with the Tavor and Galil, but the Malyuk was not yet in production. But Zbroyar was building and selling their Z15, which most of these in the photos likely are. They would later in the year come out with their Z10, based on the AR10. How many of these sport competitors were also reservists and LEOs? How much influence might they have had on Ukraine looking into adopting it?
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
If the Ukrainians prevail in this current war, I expect there will be a heavy emphasis again on civilian marksmanship and skill at arms. Obviously they will be primarily preoccupied with rebuilding, but I will be curious to observe their shooting sports growth and maturation.
User avatar
xerts1191
ArizonaShooting.org Member
ArizonaShooting.org Member
Posts: 12215
Joined: May 28th, 2018, 7:25 pm
Reputation: 5
Location: Arizona

Re: Guns of Ukraine war picture thread

#441

Post by xerts1191 »

Thread gives me weapons wood
User avatar
Suck My Glock
ArizonaShooting.org Member
ArizonaShooting.org Member
Posts: 8816
Joined: May 25th, 2018, 3:01 pm
Reputation: 8
Location: Peoria

Re: Guns of Ukraine war picture thread

#442

Post by Suck My Glock »



Well here's a rare one. This is a Russian TsKIB SOO MTs-566 semi-auto sniper rifle, (also called the OTs-129) chambered in 7.62x51mm. It has obvious designs features taken from the American AR series. It uses AR10 magazines. The Firearms Blog did a little write up on it back in 2018. https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/201 ... ting-2018/ These have supposedly been used in Ukraine by Wagner forces since June, but none have yet been photographed in the wild.
Image
Image



FN2000 painted to look like a Leopard?
Image

User avatar
Suck My Glock
ArizonaShooting.org Member
ArizonaShooting.org Member
Posts: 8816
Joined: May 25th, 2018, 3:01 pm
Reputation: 8
Location: Peoria

Re: Guns of Ukraine war picture thread

#443

Post by Suck My Glock »

Image



So the 50,000 Ukrainian troops rotating through Britain for training are in need of rifles to train on that are like those they will be using in Ukraine. At first, the UK bought a bunch of Yugo M70 AKs for this purpose. But they then also had to buy and import 7.62x39 ammo for them. Recently a new batch of Bulgarian AK74 type rifles to supplement and/or replace those Yugo rifles. But rather than being chambered for 5.45x39, which would also require importation of more foreign ammo, the decision was made to buy 5.56NATO AK rifles, since Britain has lots of that ammo on hand and makes supply simpler. So as you can see in this video, Ukies are running around the British countryside with Arsenal AR-M9F rifles, very similar to the Arsenal SAM5 available to the U.S. civilian market, but with the metal folding stock currently only available on the 7.62 SAM7-SF. What is unclear is what happens to these rifles once the Ukrainians are all done cycling through Britain. Do they get sent along as part of an aid package, or do they just go into MI6 deep storage for later donation to some other insurgency or rebellion?
User avatar
Suck My Glock
ArizonaShooting.org Member
ArizonaShooting.org Member
Posts: 8816
Joined: May 25th, 2018, 3:01 pm
Reputation: 8
Location: Peoria

Re: Guns of Ukraine war picture thread

#444

Post by Suck My Glock »

Wondering why all the fuss about mud testing? Ask anyone sitting in a muddy trench outside Bakhmut right now. Diving for cover from an incoming mortar round, only to end up plopping your rifle into the goo along with your butt. Chit happens.
Image

A British volunteer with his suppressed PKM freezing his butt off near Pivnichne.
Image

Another American volunteer, this time with a suppressed AK74 bullpup conversion, back in September near Kharkiv.
Image

Chechen volunteers fighting for Ukraine carry an FN SCAR-L and an AK-12 with 45-round Molot RPK-74 magazine, which is captured from Russian troops.
Image

The governor of Tula (and former Spetznats commander) Alexey Dyumin, personally giving the big kiss off to doomed draftees as they begin their fatal deployment, including this poor shmuck with his suppressed Dragunov. One of the few highlights in the atrocious supply chain situation for the Russians is that suppressors are cheap and easy to build, so more and more are being supplied to fresh new draftees.
Image
Image

Russian Pacific Fleet spetsnatz, presumably 42nd OMRP naval spetsnatz, with AK-74U and rare bino NVGs in the Vuhledar area.
Image

Ukraine isn't the only side in the war who manufactures their own AR-10 variant; Russia has been manufacturing the Lobaev Arms LAR-10 Schyotchik rifle since last year after being impressed with the Zbroyar Z-10 deployed by the Ukrainians. (Captured Z-10s are highly prized by Russian Spetsnats snipers, who have enthusiastically used them in place of their issued SVDs.) According to post by a Lobaev rep at forum.guns.ru from just before Christmas, the LAR-10 is being considered as a replacement for the SVD, with 100 specially assembled rifles being issued for field trials in Ukraine, of which this appears to be one. Visiting the Russian gun forum shows the LAR-10 being put through extensive range trials in late 2022. Notice in the picture take from the rear berm at Lobaev's test range, they seem to have a supply of Hornady ammunition. I'm curious whether Tula will produce any brass-cased .308 ammo for this system. (Lobaev is located about 25 miles NW of Tula.)
Image
Image
Image

The main reason why suppressors are usually not used on belt-fed weapons. This Russian sample was destroyed by extended fire through the PKM it was mounted on. Notice that they affixed some sort of heat shield to it in an attempt to mitigate heat mirage.
Image
User avatar
Suck My Glock
ArizonaShooting.org Member
ArizonaShooting.org Member
Posts: 8816
Joined: May 25th, 2018, 3:01 pm
Reputation: 8
Location: Peoria

Re: Guns of Ukraine war picture thread

#445

Post by Suck My Glock »

SOOKAH!! Put a muffler on that blyyat!!
Image

Russian Legion volunteer fighting on behalf of the Ukrainians, with his laser range-finding binos and suppressed Desert Tech SRS bullpup in .338Lapua with thermal optic.
Image

No one wants to be in Bakhmut. Nobody. But,...if you HAVE to be in the biggest urban battle since Stalingrad, plan for the future and get photographic proof you were there. Look - I went to Bakhmut, and all I got was trenchfoot, shell-shock and this captured PKM.
Image

Another SIG 516 in Ukrainian service. But this one, if you are able to blow up the picture and look real close at the top of the suppressor, you can just make out the SIG logo, showing this was a complete package from the factory.
Image

A Remington 700 in an Accuracy International chassis system, chambered in .300WinMag. The packaging seems to indicate the ammo is USMIL contract ammo.
Image

When the Russians think they've killed you and try to overrun your position.
Image
User avatar
Suck My Glock
ArizonaShooting.org Member
ArizonaShooting.org Member
Posts: 8816
Joined: May 25th, 2018, 3:01 pm
Reputation: 8
Location: Peoria

Re: Guns of Ukraine war picture thread

#446

Post by Suck My Glock »

A McMillan TAC50 being sighted in last summer just outside of Zhamianka.
Image

On the open plains of the south, sub-machineguns are pretty useless, so you don't see them there. But in the densely wooded forest along the border with Belarus, things are a bit different. Tank and vehicle crews there often have handy SMGs, such as this crewman and his Swedish K back in November.
Image

Back last year when it appeared the whole country was about to be overrun, even the museum pieces were handed out to arm folks. Here, in Chernihiv, circa May 2022, a medic and a fellow reservist pose with their PPS43 and SVT40, which each appear to have never been issued.
Image

The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU or СБУ) is a lot like Homeland Security and is tasked with border patrolling. In mountainous terrain like that along the border with Transnitria, where there is a heavy Russian contingent sitting out the war so far, horseback is the most efficient and stealthy way to perform that task. Currently, things are quiet on the western side of the country where this СБУ stable is located. But there is a war on, and there's over 10,000 Russians just a few miles away, so even the horse groomers are ready to rock at a moment's notice.
Image

A Russian Spetsnatz trooper shows off his PB Makarov.
Image

Members of the Russian elite have been criticized by many Russians for enabling their sons to evade mobilization or war service. They have reportedly found an ingenious solution – a special unit for the elite, which serves at a safe distance from the front. The Russian military reserves, known as БАРС or BARS, which stands for Combat Army Reserve of the Country, has a special unit called Cascade (Каскад), specially just for the kids of the elite and elite themselves. They spend most of their 1-month tours in occupied Donetsk doing administrative civil service stints, planting trees or clearing rubble. The closest any of them come to actually fighting is piloting some drones. However, to ensure the public back home sees them serving heroically, they get photo ops dressed up in "captured" NATO uniforms, gear and weapons, so as to show them supposedly acting as covert spec ops hard core heroes, outfitted with the spoils of their exploits, including M4 carbines and FN/FALs, looking more like they just stepped out of the Peruvian jungle in 1993 rather than 2023 Ukraine. Remember Al Gore's posed photos from Vietnam, making him look like he was out running missions in Charlie's backyard? Well,...these are the future Russian political players, getting their legends created for their future careers.
Image
Image
User avatar
Suck My Glock
ArizonaShooting.org Member
ArizonaShooting.org Member
Posts: 8816
Joined: May 25th, 2018, 3:01 pm
Reputation: 8
Location: Peoria

Re: Guns of Ukraine war picture thread

#447

Post by Suck My Glock »

A donated Knight's Armory M110 on the range in Ukraine, fitted with a commercial thermal scope.
Image

Igor: Dmitri, we need American minigun.
Dmitri: Shut up Igor. We have minigun at home.
ImageImage

More customized AK74s in Ukraine. Standard issue is soooo last year.
Image

User avatar
Suck My Glock
ArizonaShooting.org Member
ArizonaShooting.org Member
Posts: 8816
Joined: May 25th, 2018, 3:01 pm
Reputation: 8
Location: Peoria

Re: Guns of Ukraine war picture thread

#448

Post by Suck My Glock »

Ukraine license-built Tavors back before the current war, via the FORT company. They are still around, but not seen as often as before.
Image



Some Daniel Defense DD4 Mk18s and some CZ BREN2s belonging to volunteers of the Ukrainian International Brigade.
Image

A privately owned Savage MSR-15 with a Vortex LPVO.
Image
User avatar
Suck My Glock
ArizonaShooting.org Member
ArizonaShooting.org Member
Posts: 8816
Joined: May 25th, 2018, 3:01 pm
Reputation: 8
Location: Peoria

Re: Guns of Ukraine war picture thread

#449

Post by Suck My Glock »

As the snow melts in Ukraine, this is mud season. The goo is everywhere. As can be seen in this photo of a medic carrying away the AR15 of her patient in the armored personnel carrier, it is covered in mud. You can even see it is packed in the muzzle of the flash suppressor. No doubt, when he was wounded, the patient dived for cover, right into the muck. And that's when his rifle got goobered. Good thing he didn't try returning fire, or that bore obstruction might have resulted in even more injury.
Image

A very rare A545 KORD-5,45 6P67 Assault Rifle, liberated from an "administratively retired" Spetznatz trooper. Rifle is equipped with a 45 round RPK magazine, suppressor and Holosun HS503 red dot.
Image

Not only have Bradley M2s arrived in Poland for the Ukrainians to train on before moving to the front for the late spring festivities, a whole new batch of M16A2s as well.
Image

This is Russian "journalist/reporter" Vladlen Tatarsky. Hmmmm,...I don't see a camera or a microphone. Anyway, somebody met him and some of his buddies at bar in St. Petersburg known for being patronized by Wagner types and other soldiers, and handed him some sort of statuette or figurine made to look like an award or commemorative piece. It detonated. And now Vlad is a good Russian. I guess he won't be needing that AKSU-74 anymore.
Image

And here is Tatarsky with an ECM (eletronic counter-measures) anti-drone "gun" last year. Looks like a giant suppressed AR weapon of some type, doesn't it. Kinda cool-looking, actually.
Image
User avatar
Suck My Glock
ArizonaShooting.org Member
ArizonaShooting.org Member
Posts: 8816
Joined: May 25th, 2018, 3:01 pm
Reputation: 8
Location: Peoria

Re: Guns of Ukraine war picture thread

#450

Post by Suck My Glock »

More Daniel Defense rifles showing up in theater.
Image
Image

And of course, plenty of SIG Virtus rifles still in circulation.
Image

A Finn volunteer with a suppressed Daniel Defense rifle.
Image

More SCAR-Ls in Bakhmut.
Image

Post Reply