With massive numbers of personnel on both sides, both Russia and Ukraine are using a wide variety
of weapons to arm their troops. While we have extensively covered World War Two-era weapons
in Ukraine in our other videos, there's more than just vintage gear making appearances
on the battlefield today. Let's take a look at some of the weird weapons being used in Ukraine.
Number One: The RPG-30 While many people might not
think an RPG is that weird, after all, it appears as the weapon of choice among bad guys in every
video game and movie, you would be mistaken. The RPG-30, known as the Kyruk or Hook in Russian,
is the latest and greatest version of its cousin that came into service decades before.
What makes the RPG-30 so unique is its ability to defeat active protection systems on tanks.
Active protection systems or APS is the general term used to describe an advanced armor system
where a combination of radars, fire control computers, and mini-rockets are used to shoot
down incoming ordnance against a tank. APS is one of the newest developments in armor technology,
and countries have been looking for meaningful ways to defeat it for years.
In 2008, the Russian government found its solution in the RPG-30. Firing just a fraction of a second
before the main rocket, the decoy rocket is launched from a side tube below the main 105mm
rocket. Once fired, operators can then discard the tube. Because it is fired just a fraction
of a second faster, the system's goal is to get the tank to waste a rocket on the decoy,
allowing the main rocket to hit the tank. Thinking the threat is destroyed,
the tank will not reengage for another split second. That slight delay is all it takes for
the almost 23-pound grenade to slam into the target. Allegedly, the RPG-30 can take out up
to 650mm of sloped armor. While this claim has not been confirmed yet, it’s confirmed
that these have been used on the battlefield. Thankfully for Ukrainian troops, there are
systems like the Trench Coat system designed by Israel that can defeat such weapons by launching
a bunch more missiles each time the APS detects a threat. However, it’s unknown if Ukrainian tanks
are equipped with such a system. Number Two: RPO-A Shmel
Designed at the very end of the Cold War, the Shmel was made to be a man-portable
fire support system that could supply drastic firepower in situations where artillery or air
support was unavailable or impossible to use. Weighing in at just over 22 pounds,
the Shmel was a reusable rocket system that gave the operator several warheads to choose from.
The primary warhead was the thermobaric warhead. Thermobaric weapons are very
deadly in urban environments and do not kill like normal high explosives. Instead of causing
damage from normal high-explosive, thermobaric weapons or vacuum bombs do their damage by
sucking all the available oxygen in the area. The resulting explosion and pressure change can cause
catastrophic damage even to people behind cover, in buildings, bunkers, or trenches.
Because of its ability to destroy personnel an operator cannot directly see, it’s a sort
of wonder weapon for an infantry squad. But thermobaric munitions are not the only type
of ammo it can shoot. Besides shooting smoke rounds, the Shmel can also shoot incendiary
rounds. These contain 20 pellets inside the warhead, and the pellets ignite as soon as the
warhead leaves the tube. Using a substance called Pyrogel, the flames can burn at an impressive
800 to 1000 degrees Celsius for five to seven minutes on their own before hitting a target.
The Russians even beefed up the Shmel in 2003 when they released a lighter version with
better thermobaric munitions. Number Three: M14 rifles
Surplus World War Two weapons aren't the only surplus rifles making a comeback in Ukraine,
some Cold War-era stock is making its way onto the front line also. The M14 entered service in
the US military as its standard battle rifle in 1959. However, its heavy weight, large caliber,
and unwieldy full auto fire did not win it many favors among troops in Vietnam. Because of this,
the US military started transitioning the force to the M-16 within six years of it
entering service, and by the end of the war, these battle rifles were primarily
relegated to snipers and designated marksmen. After Vietnam, the US had over a million of these
rifles with little use for them. Because of this, they started selling them off whenever they could.
When the Baltic countries of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia joined NATO between 1991 and 2004,
the US sold these countries tens of thousands of M14 rifles. Like their American counterparts,
the Baltic countries relegated these rifles to a sniper role,
where they saw action in Iraq and Afghanistan. In a deal to send better sniper rifles to those
countries, the Baltics donated between 5,000 to 7,000 M14 rifles to Ukraine. From photo
and video evidence, Ukrainian troops are also using the rifle in a sniper capacity.
Number Four: The TOS-1 The TOS-1 is like the
Shmel but on steroids. First developed for use during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan,
the TOS-1 is a formidable weapon system. Firing two dozen 220mm rockets in a matter of seconds,
the TOS-1 can make quick work on any fortified structure or armored vehicle. Giving the weapon
system even more incredible firepower is their thermobaric or incendiary warheads.
Because of this, some claim that the TOS-1 is the strongest, non-nuclear weapon Russia can employ
on the battlefield. Powering this beast is the chassis of a T-72 tank. The Soviets chose to do
this because of the rockets' limited range. The first models had just a three-kilometer effective
range, and upgrades to the munitions over the years have only pushed this out to ten kilometers.
Additionally, there are very few of these in Russian service. Though Russia has exported
dozens of these to Iraq, Syria, and Azerbaijan, seeing combat in all three places, the Russian
military retains few of these in its inventory. At about 16 units before the war started, these saw
extensive use in the battles for Kharkiv and in the Donbas. Photographic evidence shows at least
several were destroyed or captured by Ukraine. Though these have not been seen too much,
it appears they are making a comeback, with Russian media reporting the military
received new shipments of around a dozen units in September and December 2022.
Number Five: The T-14 Armata tank The T-14 Armata has been abuzz for
years among military circles as this supposed super-tank. Allegedly, the Armata is the most
advanced tank in the world, at least according to the Russians. With a new and improved fire control
system that allows it to fire more accurately on the move and a supercharged, new engine,
the Armata can supposedly outgun any NATO tank. The Russians also claim that the tank has the
best armor in the world. With armored capsules surrounding the crew, engine, and auto-turret,
a penetrating hit will not cause a catastrophic explosion like legacy Soviet tanks are known to
suffer. This catastrophic explosion is evidenced by the turret flying off the tank due to the
ammunition in the autoloader exploding too. Another supposedly great feature is the Active
Self Protection system on board. Composed of one of the most advanced radars that operate
in multiple frequency bands, the tank can, on paper, engage dozens of aerial and ground targets
at once. Whether it's a speeding projectile or an incoming missile, the Afghanit protection system,
as it is known, is intended to keep the crew safe. Envisioned to eventually become the primary main
battle tank in service, the Armata program has been bogged down for
years due to funding issues. With only around 20 known Armatas produced by 2022,
the tank operating in Ukraine has been a subject of debate for months. Recent video evidence from
Ukraine shows that as of the end of 2022, the first four Armatas appeared to be crossing the
border into Ukraine and entering combat there. However, the Russian Ministry of Defense
still needs to confirm their use in Ukraine. Additionally, all the Russian claims about the
Armata remain doubtful since no one outside Russia has tested the vehicle, and it’s highly likely its
combat power is overstated. Number Six: Armored Trains
No, this isn't a particular video game developer taking artistic liberties with World War One;
this is a real weapon used first by the Soviets and now by the Russian army.
Russia is the largest country in the world but has historically had very poor highways. As a result,
their military logistics have relied heavily on rail transportation to get around.
Starting out in the Russian Civil War as a way of providing mobile firepower, the
armored trains used by the Red Army morphed into an armored convoy to protect logistics routes.
The Red Army's armored trains were equipped with various anti-aircraft and heavy machine guns. The
Russians abandoned the idea of armored trains by the early 2000s and decommissioned them.
However, it appears that Russian fears of their inability to supply Crimea after its annexation
made them bring them back into service in 2016. As of today, the Russian army is confirmed to have
four of these trains. Two of them, Yenisei and Amur, are confirmed by video evidence and Russian
government statements to be in combat in Ukraine. According to Amur's conductor, their primary
mission is still protecting supply lines. Armed with two autocannons taken from BMP
infantry fighting vehicles and several dozen machine guns, the trains primarily operate in
southern Ukraine. This is notable because southern Ukraine has had the most active
partisan movements, and the Russian use of these trains shows they are very concerned
about protecting their rear area supply lines. Number Seven: The Remote Anti-Armor Mine System
The Remote Anti-Armor Mine System, also known as RAAMS, is a state-of-the-art anti-armor system
deployed out of all places out the back of a 155mm artillery shell. How it works is when the shell
is fired, the propulsion charge ignites and fires the shell out of the gun. The timer can be preset
to a specified time to set off the second charge. The second charge that goes off is the expulsion
charge. This small explosion forces nine separate anti-tank mines to leave the back of the shell.
Each mine is armed when centrifugal force rotates the mine several times. Upon landing,
the mines are armed and ready for any approaching armored vehicles.
Besides being launched from an artillery shell, what makes these mines special is the fact that
they are tamper-proof and self-destruct if anyone tries to disarm them. Two of the mines in each
shell are fitted with what the US Army calls an "antidisturbance mechanism" to "discourage" enemy
troops from clearing the mines. That probably means several mines will be set off with any
pressure and not the usual weight of a tank. But if the mines don’t find a target within
24 hours, they will self-destruct due to an electrical circuit inside the mines closing.
Number Eight: DefendTex D40 drones The US is not the only country supplying
Ukraine with kamikaze drones; so is Australia. In Australia,
their drones are known as the DefendTex D40 loitering munitions. Weighing less than a pound,
these munitions can be deployed singularly or as a swarm. Their stopping power is debatable, but
they would definitely be effective against dug-in positions, light armored vehicles, and personnel
in the open. These drones can be deployed either by a single soldier throwing it or launching it
out of a special 40mm grenade launcher, after which they have a range of around 20 kilometers.
In August, the Australian government promised to send 300 drones to Ukraine. Within the past
several months, the first units have arrived in Poland, and Ukrainian troops are receiving
training on how to use them properly. As of December 2022, we still don’t know if these
drones have seen any combat use yet. Now go check out How Russian Tactics
To Take Over Ukraine Will Backfire, or click this other video instead!