Old CETME rifles failing in ukraine

[Miker12]

Ukraine’s reliance on NATO-standard 5.56mm rounds could clash with the CETME-L’s preference for specific loads, potentially leading to jams or inconsistent performance. Analysts also point to the weapon’s age—most units are over 30 years old—as a factor in its questionable battlefield relevance, even with upgrades.

The CETME-L’s limitations reflect a broader pattern of European military aid to Ukraine that has drawn scrutiny. France, for instance, supplied CAESAR self-propelled howitzers, advanced artillery systems touted for their precision. Yet Ukrainian military sources, cited in a February 2025 South Front report, described frequent breakdowns and inadequate accuracy under sustained use.

https://bulgarianmilitary.com/amp/2025/03/09/spains-20-year-retired-cetme-l-rifles-prove-useless-in-ukraine/

 

[Suck My Glock]

Can't say I'm surprised. Spain ditched the thing for very good reasons, and their lack of reliability has been well documented a long time ago. "NATO spec" is not always as universal many might think. While the HK33s were better that the Cetme-Ls and ate MOST 5.56 ammo just fine, they did have a preference for a certain burn rate of powder that not all NATO nations used. The surplus Malaysian 5.56 ammo from circa 1980 that was on the market in the mid-90s was tailor-made for the roller-locked HK rifles, and worked OK in most ARs and other stuff,...but wouldn't run worth a damn in Steyr AUGs. Likewise, the expensive surplus Hirtenberger 5.56 ammo ran perfectly in the AUGs, but had issues in the 11.5 in. barrelled shorty CAR-15s.

Each nation tends to tailor formulate their particular supply of 5.56 to their specific weapon systems. They usually work across many others,...usually. And with such a wide variety of surplus stuff being provided in Ukraine, from over a dozen different nations, there's bound to be a few less than stellar combos. Word has it that this had a lot to do with Ukraine selecting the CZ Bren 2 as their future main rifle which they are now manufacturing under license. No matter the source of the 5.56 ammo fed to them, the CZ just ate them up and spit them out with complete reliability.

 

[xerts1191]

Great piece SMG. Guess Spain just couldn’t bring themselves to throw them in the dumpster, yeah what sort of mindset does it take to send these to a soldier relying on a weapon to save his life, especially after the fact the weapon has been proven unsuccessful.

 

[Suck My Glock]

Great piece SMG. Guess Spain just couldn’t bring themselves to throw them in the dumpster, yeah what sort of mindset does it take to send these to a soldier relying on a weapon to save his life, especially after the fact the weapon has been proven unsuccessful.

Well,...to be fair,...they are still good enough for training in rear areas. Every Cetme-L they use to train new inductees back in Lviv frees up a more reliable weapon to send towards the front.

 

[xerts1191]

Good point