WWI and WWII firearm relics still used in Russo-Ukrainian war

The ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war showcases a mix of advanced weaponry, including state-of-the-art air defense systems, hypersonic missiles, and the newest drones, alongside the enduring utility of older tactics and arms.

While weapons from the 1970s-1990s are the most common, older firearms can still occasionally be spotted on the battleground of the Russo-Ukrainian War. Russian and Ukrainian forces are sometimes employing World War I and II-era firearms from vast Soviet-era arsenals, now relevant due to shortages of modern arms and ammunition for diverse arrays of military units deployed by both Ukrainians and Russians. 

“Though these weapons seem antiquated, they are still perfectly serviceable and lethal in the right hands, and it’s the case today of any weapon being better than no weapon at all,“ British historian Mark Felton noted in 2022.

In 2023, the Moscow Times reported that Russia ceased the disposal of Soviet-era older weapons following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, amid reports of equipment shortages in the Russian army. As the war drags on, more and more older equipment shows up on the battlefields.

The echoes of the Second and even the First World Wars resonate not only in African or Middle Eastern conflicts but also in the actions of Ukrainian military personnel and Russian occupiers, illustrating the enduring relevance of past wars in the modern world, Militarnyi says.

Here are several old firearms spotted on the frontlines.

Machine guns

Maxim M1910

Ukrainian forces have effectively used the century-old Maxim Model 1910 machine guns to counter Russia’s traditional battle tactics in the positional warfare of 2015-2021 and against Russia’s WWI-style frontal assaults in 2022-2023. The M1910’s water-cooled barrel allows for longer bursts of sustained fire, making it particularly useful against waves of attacking forces, a tactic reminiscent of WWI.

Both Russian and Ukrainian forces are known to be using Maxim machine guns.

Introduced in 1910, the Maxim M1910 was produced in large quantities by the Soviets, ensuring a ready supply of weapons and ammunition in Ukraine. The Ukrainians have upgraded the Maxims in various ways, including adding modern optics and suppressors:

Only in #Ukraine: A PM M1910/30 Maxim gun with optics, stock, and suppressor. pic.twitter.com/JG1IoPEmfE— Cᴀʟɪʙʀᴇ Oʙsᴄᴜʀᴀ (@CalibreObscura) March 5, 2023

Ukrainian forces also developed several “multi-Maxim” contraptions, mounting several M1910s together as anti-aircraft guns to target Russian drones. Here is one of those:

Unique Ukrainian design of four Maxim machine guns for shooting down Iranian-made Shahed 136 kamikaze drones. pic.twitter.com/vYcIyPLPOx— Tarmo

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