A lot of the best small arms have been issued to troops actively facing the Russians on the front. The secondary small arms that are less common or more difficult to supply with spare parts or ammo tend to get issued to the rear echelon local militia or guards. Here we see some donated Czech VZ58 rifles that were received rather early in the war, but have been relegated to service other than the front lines. Also interesting is the very uncommon Norinco QJC-88 belt-fed 12.7x108mm mounted in the truck. It appears to be part of the intercepted Iranian shipment of weapons originally destined for the Houthis in Yemen that the U.S. Navy seized in 2021 and handed over to the CIA to be distributed to whomever they felt needed them. A sudden influx of Chinese weaponry showed up in Ukrainian hands in mid-2022.
Not a whole lot of RPDs survive in Ukraine today. Most of them were given away as military aide to Africa and Asia back when Ukraine was still part of the USSR. This one appears in great shape; perhaps an actual museum piece liberated from it's display and pressed back into service?
The Czechs and Slovaks also gifted a bunch of UK59 belt-feds in 7.62x54R early in 2022. They run so well, however, that even though they are not as common as PKMs or NATO-provided FN-MAGs and MG-3s, they are still used in front line service with some units.
Vanya: Igor, we want M134 minigun.
Igor: Silly Vanya;...we have minigun at home.
And speaking of recycling 100 year old Maxims;...here's one that some shop modified and customized to be pressed into ground service as a GPMG. They ditched the water jacket, gave it a barrel shroud, created a belt box hanging off the bottom, a bipod, a carry handle, a pistol grip, a butt stock,...and even added a small optic rail just behind the top cover. I don't know why they devised a new boxy fuzee cover on it's left side, and I have no idea what the thing over the barrel that looks like a gas piston is, because Maxims are recoil-operated. This one appears to one of the few weapons that is CURRENTLY on display at some local museum of some sort. Likely displaying the local ingenuity and handiness that were so required in those early days in 2022.
Another museum piece that was busted out of the glass display cases and put back to work. In this case, a German MG34. I'm curious to know how difficult it is to find 8mm ammo in theater, since nobody other than the Yugoslavs were still issuing the caliber in recent times. And the Serbians aren't very friendly with Ukraine, choosing to side with Putin. Croatia and Kosovo might still have some in stock to donate, but not much. Notice the one on the floor appears to be in unissued condition, as if right out of the transit chest.
Canadian Diemaco C7A1 rifle that KABOOMED in the field. No,...300 Blackout was not involved. Apparently the firing pin somehow remained stuck forward as it picked up the next round and detonated it early before the bolt could fully rotate and lock. Reports of this sort of failure have been not all that uncommon in Ukraine. The prevailing theory is that an insufficient supply of CLP in country has led to a lot of other lubes being substituted,...not all of which work well. Most commonly available are simple automotive oils of varying grades and viscosities.
And this is the first Ares Shrike (now known as the FiteLite MCR) that I've seen in Ukraine. I have no information on how it got there or how many others may have been delivered. Was it in a batch of privately funded/donated weapons sent by U.S. benefactors? Were they ordered by some minor Ukie government agency? It's a mystery.
And yes, the M14s are still being issued and used.
Notice the FNC also laying on the table, and the American patch on the instructor's helmet.
Some American and Brit private contractor/instructors with an HK MG5
How to spot Americans in Ukraine.
Miami actually did send their confiscated crime guns last summer to Ukraine. Here they are on the dock after being shipped in from Poland.
