Viral Video Shows Russian Gunner Flung From Runaway Machine Gun
A viral video shows a Russian soldier thrown from a YakB-12.7 rotary machine gun during a training exercise after the weapon’s recoil caused it to spin uncontrollably, nearly hitting an instructor.
The weapon is believed to be a YakB-12.7, a Soviet-era four-barrel Gatling-style machine gun designed for use on the Mi-24 “Hind” attack helicopter.
Other soldiers could be heard laughing after the incident as they approached the gunner. The authenticity of the video and the exact date of the incident could not be independently verified, and it remains unclear whether anyone was injured.
The YakB-12.7, formally known as the Yakushev-Borzov 12.7, is a gas-operated weapon capable of firing up to 5,000 rounds per minute.
Open-source analysts suggested the malfunction may have resulted from using an aircraft-mounted weapon in a ground configuration without properly accounting for its recoil forces.
“This is what happens when an aircraft rotary gun with brutal angular recoil is treated like a regular ground weapon,” the analyst wrote. “They ignored that fact, slapped it onto a ground setup for a mobile fire group, and assumed it would work like a regular stationary machine gun.”
The video emerged as fighting between Russia and Ukraine continues. Ukraine on Tuesday said it struck tankers and cargo vessels in the Sea of Azov in the latest attacks targeting Russian commercial shipping. Russia’s Agriculture Ministry said it was seeking “alternative shipping routes” following the strikes.
