Guns Seen in Ukraine War

Today we're diving into some of the weapons of the  Russian-Ukrainian War today with a look into the small arms being used by the Ukrainian forces. Keep in mind that with all the countries sending weapons to the Ukraine as support currently, this is not an exhaustive list, just some that are being seen consistently. With that being said, let’s take a look at some of the weapons we’ve been seeing popping up on the battlefield.

Ukrainian Fort 221

A Ukrainian soldier reloads his RPC Fort 221 rifle. Photo Credit:  Sandboxx

The Ukrainian Fort 221 is an IWI Tavor TAR 21 that is manufactured under license in Ukraine to RPC Fort - a state owned company. The bullpup RPC Fort 221 is chambered in 5.56 NATO. IWI fans rejoice - there’s going to be a lot of these on this list, the Ukrainian Fort 221 is just the beginning. The 22 Series of RPC Fort rifles are as follows:

• Fort-221 in 5.56x45mm and 5.45x39 mm (IWI TAR 21)
• Fort-224 in 5.56×45 and 5.45x39 mm (IWI X-95)
• Fort-224 in 9×19 (IWI X-95 SMG)

Malyuk/IPI Vulcan

The Malyuk rifle was developed in 2005 to improve on the Vepr bullpup rifle and completed Ukrainian military trials in 2016. The Malyuk rifle is also referred to as the IPI Vulcan. We did find people online referring to this weapon as the Malyuk AK, which is not technically correct - even though the design is, in essence, a bullpup AK with a polymer body and frame. The Malyuk Rifle is chambered in 7.62x39mm or 5.45x39 mm.

Malyuk rifle chambered in 5.45x39 mm. Photo Credit:  Armourers Bench

CZ VZ58

CZ VZ58 rifle. Photo Credit:  Outdoor Hub

The CZ VZ58 is a short-stroke gas piston rifle originally based upon the AK47. Despite being similar in appearance to the venerable AK, the VZ58 rifle is actually a very different operating system. Chambered in 7.62x39mm, the VZ-58 is being seen in use fairly often on the Ukrainian battlefield.

M4-WAC-47

M4-WAC-47. Photo Credit:  The Firearm Blog

The M4-WAC-47 is an M4 chambered in 7.62x39mm and built in Ukraine by another state-owned company called Ukroboronprom. Available in a variety of barrel lengths, the M4-WAC-47 is currently being utilized by Ukrainian ground forces and seems to have been widely adopted. Have to admit, the Ukrainian M4-WAC-47 is one mighty fine looking rifle - Eugene Stoner would be proud.

AK74/AKM/AK74u

5.45x39 mm goodness is obviously all over the battlefield in Ukraine right now. Ukrainian forces are well known to utilize the AK74 and its variants. The AK74 is an AK model chambered in 5.45x39 mm and is available in a bunch of different variante. We’re even seeing civilian volunteers using the AK74 variants currently.

A Ukrainian SOF operator fires the AK-74. Photo Credit:  The Armory Life

Fort 227/228

Back to the old Hebrew hammers! I make no beans about it - I’m a Galil fanboy and the Galil Ace is probably my favorite tactical rifle of all time. Don’t believe me? Check out our blog on it here. Anyway, I’ll take a deep breath and try not to fanboy so hard, promise!

The Fort 227 and Fort 228 are Galil ACE rifles manufactured by Fort in Ukraine. They are identical in every way to the  Galil Ace made by IWI, and there is even a rumor that all the hardware is made in Israel. The Fort 227 is chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO with a 13” barrel and the Fort 228 is chambered in 7.62x39mm with an 8” barrel.

Galil AC… Errr. Fort 227 Rifle. Photo Credit:  The Firearm Blog

Handguns

Here are some of the handguns that have been seen in use during the Russian war in Ukraine.

Glock 17

Glock 17. Photo Credit: Glock

The Glock 17 hardly needs any introduction at all. It’s been seen constantly with Ukrainian troops and is one of the most popular military sidearms of all time. The Glock 17 is carried mainly by Ukrainian Special Forces.

Fort-14TP

The Fort-14TP. Photo Credit:  Tactical Life

Fort-14TP is another sidearm that’s been seen quite often in this war. Chambered in 9mm Makarov (9x18mm), the Fort-14TP is a full-size  handgun. That replaced the Makarov pistol as Ukraine’s standard service pistol.

Fort 21

The RPC Fort 21. Photo Credit:  Survin City

Enter yet another IWI Licensed gun. The Fort 21 is another handgun being carried by Ukrainian forces. Chambered in 9mm, sharp-eyed shooters will notice the Fort 21 is a Ukrainian-built IWI Jericho.

Fort 17

RPC Fort 17. Photo Credit: Ukrainian Military Pages

The RPC Fort 21 is chambered in 9mm Makarov and appears IWI Jericho derived. Most info states the RPC Fort 17 replaced the old RPC Fort 12 pistol and added interchangeable backstraps to better fit the soldier’s hand.

Why Civilians Should Always Have Guns

That concludes our glimpse into some of the weapons Ukrainian forces are using to battle the Russians currently. As stated above, this is by no means an exhaustive list and we’ve seen a ton of instances of Ukrainian civilians and soldiers picking up Russian weapons to use as well.

As a side note, if we’ve learned one thing from this war, it’s that when push came to shove, civilians were instantly armed to fight back the invaders. We should all feel blessed to live in a country that allows our populace to be armed before bad news happens. We must hold our Right to Bear Arms in the highest of reverence.

Thanks for spending some time with us. While you are here, why not exercise your  Second Amendment right to bear arms and consider building a custom gun from one of our complete upper kits?