Guns of Ukraine war picture thread

[Suck My Glock]

[highlight=yellow]If I win the Powerball, I won't say anything,...but there will be clues.[/highlight]

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

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

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.

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?

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.

 

[xerts1191]

Thread gives me weapons wood

 

[Suck My Glock]

https://twitter.com/war_noir/status/1635444784302104578

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/2018/10/18/tskib-soo-mts-566-rifle-arms-hunting-2018/ These have supposedly been used in Ukraine by Wagner forces since June, but none have yet been photographed in the wild.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Huy5UEnWbTo

FN2000 painted to look like a Leopard?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGFAGeF5VEE

 

[Suck My Glock]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Rf3xIIpuzs

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?
https://twitter.com/CalibreObscura/status/1637787770620977152

 

[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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.)

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.

 

[Suck My Glock]

SOOKAH!! Put a muffler on that blyyat!!

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.

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.

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.

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

[highlight=yellow]When the Russians think they've killed you and try to overrun your position.[/highlight]

 

[Suck My Glock]

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

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.

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.

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.

A Russian Spetsnatz trooper shows off his PB Makarov.

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.

 

[Suck My Glock]

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

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

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rd7Tf9rsWU

 

[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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2MHUvKkOnU

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

A privately owned Savage MSR-15 with a Vortex LPVO.

 

[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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

 

[Suck My Glock]

More Daniel Defense rifles showing up in theater.

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

A Finn volunteer with a suppressed Daniel Defense rifle.

More SCAR-Ls in Bakhmut.

https://twitter.com/war_noir/status/1643689916864290832

 

[Suck My Glock]

Another Barrett MRAD .338 rifle, along with what appear to be some .50BMG rifles

Russian girls belonging to the "Russian Legion" fighting for Ukraine. Both are armed with AKSU-74s.

Another Russian Legion fighter for Ukraine, armed with a Remington 700 rifle in a precision chassis and a thermal optic.

3 more members of the free Russian Legion, armed with a couple of FN SCAR-Ls and an AK74. Despite being ethnically Russian, notice the guy with the AK is wearing a US flag patch (incorrectly, btw). Must be a fan. Probably an effort at psych warfare if he is KIA. Something for his fellow muskovites to flip out over if/when his body is discovered.

A Ukrainian International Legion volunteer from Taiwan uses an MRAD sniper rifle on a mission.

 

[Suck My Glock]

Among the weapons the Belgians sent to Ukraine were not just FALs and SCARs, but old mothballed Uzis in deep war reserve stockpiles that are no longer issued. And as a result of rifles being far more useful on the front lines, these have often been issued to soldiers in rear areas unlikely to see combat, as well as vehicle crews.

 

[Suck My Glock]

Here's an RPG being fired, right at the moment the booster charge has completed its burn and while the rocket is still flying forwards before its motor kicks in.

Here's a photo catching a 40mm grenade in mid-flight.

This photo shows troops being checked out on both the PKM and the MG3.

4 out of 5 modern Russian soldiers agree; suppressors are common and necessary items. You hear that, BATF? You hear that, Supreme Court? You hear that, Congress?

https://twitter.com/war_noir/status/1645431468544479232/photo/1

https://twitter.com/war_noir/status/1645497506971754512/photo/1

More Bravo Company rifles.

 

[Suck My Glock]

https://twitter.com/CalibreObscura/status/1646468165956775936

https://twitter.com/CalibreObscura/status/1646462275882983426/photo/1

Slowly, more Belgian FN/FALs are showing up in theater.

A Ukrainian sniper and his Z-10 rifle.

Damn it kids, how many times has momma told you; no more shooting in the house!!

Another Czech PZD-556 SAW

 

[Suck My Glock]

Battlefields like Ukraine are why guns get mud-tested. The struggle is real.

https://twitter.com/CalibreObscura/status/1647165912133533696


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5IGPuYFzNM

 

[Suck My Glock]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpgCykhiXUk

3 American volunteers, 2 armed with SIG516s and the other with a U.S. supplied M4, on the banks of the Vovcha River, near Kurakhove.

There are a select few weapons we know Ukraine has on hand but have NOT been seen. One of them is the Galil Ace. The Ukrainian arms company FORT contracted with Israel to manufacture copies of not just the Tavor and the belt-fed Negev, but also the Ace in 7.62x39 & 5.56 variants and 7.62NATO as well. Here we see one of the FORT 229 .308 variants being inspected at a national guard facility before the war. It is unknown how many or few were manufactured. It is assumed that at some point, production was focused on the Tavor instead and production of the Ace stopped. But they are in inventory SOMEWHERE, or so one would think. I find it interesting that in all the photos I have perused looking at what rifles have shown up in Ukraine, I have seen a couple of older model original .308 Galils set up as marksman rifles, called the "Galatz",...but not a single Ace in any caliber.

Trophies. Formerly Russian.

https://twitter.com/Blue_Sauron/status/1591130815723077633

https://twitter.com/CalibreObscura/status/1650555116687175711/photo/1

 

[NBC_LT]

Hands down my favorite thread on this forum - thank you to those posting - I don't do social media and I'm assuming that is where most of the posts come from.

Please keep them coming!

 

[Suck My Glock]

Hands down my favorite thread on this forum - thank you to those posting - I don't do social media and I'm assuming that is where most of the posts come from.

Please keep them coming!

You're welcome NBC_LT. I shall endeavor onward. Yes, I find these pics from primarily Twitter. Occasionally I also find some on Instagram and Reddit, but I'm not there very much at all. There's a few guys who post to Twitter a lot who scour the images coming from soldiers on both sides on their favorite social venues. For the Russians, it is Telegram and VK. For the Ukrainians, it is primarily Twitter and Telegram, but mostly Twitter. There is an awful lot of drone video footage, as well as videos of artillery, both incoming and outgoing on both sides. But I try to just keep it to small arms, unless something seems it might be particularly interesting.

In looking specifically for what is going on in the Ukraine conflict, I also end up seeing a lot of interesting gun stuff from elsewhere going on. But I haven't bothered including it because it would kind of muddy up the topic by posting gun pics from Syria and Burma and other conflicts.

Thanks for the note of support.

 

[Suck My Glock]

Among the other things from the West's technologies the Ukies are finding useful against Russia is the supposedly "obsolete" night vision camouflage pattern used in Desert Storm, which some refer to as "starlite". Apparently Russian NVGs are still generations behind what the west uses, and the Ukrainians have found that the old starlite pattern is still effective. Unfortunately, in daylight, it appears at a distance to the naked eye very similar to Russian "ratnik" pattern. So special operators have been careful to only go out wearing this at night, so as to prevent any friendly fire incidents.

Here is an adaptation fabricated to allow for use behind cover. The machinegunner sits below the wall, observing and sighting via the camera and LED display mounted on the lowered spade grips.

A volunteer from the Blackfeet Nation (native American tribe) joined the International Legion to defend Ukraine. The message inscribed on his RPG-7 means ‘his arrows always fly straight’.

A Canadian CADEX Tremor .50BMG rifle with suppressor, and an FN SCAR-L.

Russian sniper with his 12.7x108 KSVK bullpup bolt-action, and his spotter somewhere in Bahkmut.

Another Russian sniper in Bahkmut, with his suppressed folding stock SVD.

A Ukrainian sniper with his Z-10, which sports a NightForce optic. He also appears to have a Gen1 Glock 17 in his holster.