Russia Would Be Doing Even Worse in Ukraine if its Special Forces Didn’t Have These Weapons

The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine is causing significant amounts of environmental damage and degradation — but more than that, it’s contributing to the extreme loss of human life. Hundreds of thousands of people have died in the years-long conflict, but that hasn’t stopped Putin from conscripting 160,000 new fighters in April 2025. This […] The post Russia Would Be Doing Even Worse in Ukraine if its Special Forces Didn’t Have These Weapons appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

Apr 3, 2025 - 16:12

Russia Would Be Doing Even Worse in Ukraine if its Special Forces Didn’t Have These Weapons

The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine is causing significant amounts of environmental damage and degradation — but more than that, it’s contributing to the extreme loss of human life. Hundreds of thousands of people have died in the years-long conflict, but that hasn’t stopped Putin from conscripting 160,000 new fighters in April 2025. This highlights both Putin’s desire to extend its power and take territorial control over Ukraine, but also his renewed interest in strengthening and expanding Russia’s military capabilities. (Putin’s military force now outnumbers most of Eastern Europe combined.)

While many young men are being conscripted into the military, Russia’s military power also relies heavily on another more significantly trained group: the Spetsnaz Special Forces. These elite military forces were first formed in 1949 and are designed to carry out special operations, including direct action, sabotage, and reconnaissance. Spetsnaz fighters have seen numerous combat scenarios, including (but not at all limited to) the Tajikistani Civil War, Chechen Wars, Russo-Georgian War, and Syrian Civil War. During these battles, the Spetsnaz has tried-and-true weapons that have carried them to safety while advancing Russian military strategy. But what are those weapons, and how long have they been used for? 24/7 Wall St. used Military Factory’s SPETSNAZ Special Forces Weapons collection, which comprises 73 different weapons used by the Spetsnaz. Through careful research, we identified the 32 most commonly used weapons and excluded any weapons no longer used in battle. Guns are ranked in descending order from the latest to enter service to the earliest. All additional data was also sourced from Military Factory. Read on to see how the Spetsnaz weaponry sets them apart from other forces.

This previously published article was updated on April 3, 2025 to highlight Putin’s recent conscription efforts and to acknowledge the memorialization of a Spetsnaz officer.

The Importance of Russian Weaponry Today

Russia’s Spetsnaz are somewhat similar to the U.S. Green Berets, which highlights how essential and elite they are. Understanding which weapons are used by Russian Special Forces provides a deeper look into the military capabilities of one of the world’s major military powers. Learning about Russia’s military technology also offers a greater picture of global weaponry. Through this, you can also see how impactful the Spetsnaz are in Russia. In fact, a Russian school even recently memorialized Colonel Magomedali Magomedzhanov, a former Spetsnaz commander of the 61st Naval Infantry Brigade, in a mural after he was killed in Ukraine.

These are the firearms used by the Russian Special Forces (Spetsnaz):

32. TekhMash 6G27 Balkan

Year entered service: 2016
Type: Automatic grenade launcher
Maximum effective range: 8,200 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 40mm caseless

31. Kalashnikov AK-12 (AK-200)

Year entered service: 2014
Type: Assault rifle
Maximum effective range: 2,000 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 5.45x39mm Soviet, 5.56x45mm NATO, 7.62x39mm, 7.62x51mm NATO

30. KMZ A-545

Year entered service: 2014
Type: Assault rifle
Maximum effective range: 1,640 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 5.45x39mm

29. KBP ADS

Year entered service: 2013
Type: Amphibious bullpup assault rifle
Maximum effective range: 1,650 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 5.45x39mm, 5.45x39mm

28. ORSIS T-5000

Year entered service: 2011
Type: Bolt-action sniper rifle
Maximum effective range: 4,920 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 7.62x51mm NATO, .308 Winchester Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum, .408 Cheytac

27. RPG-32 (Hashim)

Year entered service: 2008
Type: Rocket-propelled grenade launcher
Maximum effective range: 2,300 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 105mm rocket

26. MP-443 (Grach)

Year entered service: 2008
Type: Semi-automatic pistol
Maximum effective range: 165 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 9x19mm parabellum

25. Izhmash PP-19-01 (Vityaz-SN)

Year entered service: 2008
Type: Submachine gun
Maximum effective range: 656 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 9x19mm parabellum

24. Heckler & Koch HK 417

Year entered service: 2006
Type: Designated marksman rifle
Maximum effective range: 2,625 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 7.62x51mm NATO

23. KBP GM-94

Year entered service: 2006
Type: Pump-action grenade launcher
Maximum effective range: 984 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 43mm

22. KBP PP-2000

Year entered service: 2006
Type: Submachine gun
Maximum effective range: 330 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 9x19mm parabellum

21. VKS / VSSK (BKC / Vykhlop)

Year entered service: 2004
Type: Anti-material rifle
Maximum effective range: 1,968 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 12.7x55mm STs-130

20. SA-24 (Grinch) / 9K338 Igla-S

Year entered service: 2004
Type: Shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missile
Maximum effective range: 19,680 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 72mm

19. PKP Pecheneg (6P41)

Year entered service: 2001
Type: General purpose machine gun
Maximum effective range: 5,000 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 7.62x54mmR

18. Heckler & Koch HK MP7

Year entered service: 2001
Type: Submachine gun
Maximum effective range: 656 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: HK 4.6x30mm

17. ASM-DT

Year entered service: 2000
Type: Amphibious assault rifle
Maximum effective range: 164 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 5.45x39mm

16. KSVK 12.7 (ASVK)

Year entered service: 1999
Type: Anti-material rifle
Maximum effective range: 4,920 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 12.7x108mm

15. Kalashnikov SV-99

Year entered service: 1999
Type: Bolt-action sniper rifle
Maximum effective range: 330 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 5.6mm (.22LR)

14. Izhmash SV-98

Year entered service: 1998
Type: Bolt-action sniper rifle
Maximum effective range: 1,968 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 7.6x54mm R, 7.62x51mm NATO

13. KBP OSV-96

Year entered service: 1996
Type: Anti-material rifle
Maximum effective range: 6,560 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 12.7x108mm

12. Accuracy International AWM

Year entered service: 1996
Type: Bolt-action sniper rifle
Maximum effective range: 3,610 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: .300 Winchester Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum

11. PP-19 Bizon

Year entered service: 1996
Type: Submachine gun
Maximum effective range: 328 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 9x18mm Makarov, 9x19mm parabellum

10. KBP AGS-30 AGL

Year entered service: 1995
Type: Automatic grenade launcher
Maximum effective range: 7,544 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 30x29mm

9. Izhmash Saiga-12

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Year entered service: 1995
Type: Semi-automatic combat shotgun
Maximum effective range: 150 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 12-gauge

8. Izhmash AN-94 (Abakan)

Year entered service: 1994
Type: Assault rifle
Maximum effective range: 1,212 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 5.45x39mm

7. OTs-03 SVU

Year entered service: 1994
Type: Designated marksman rifle
Maximum effective range: 3,280 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 7.62x54mmR

6. KBP VSK-94

Year entered service: 1994
Type: Silenced sniper rifle
Maximum effective range: 1,312 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 9x39mm SP-5

5. KBP A-91

Year entered service: 1991
Type: Bullpup assault rifle
Maximum effective range: 3,280 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 7.62x39mm, 5.56x45mm NATO

4. AS Val (Avtomat Special’nyj)

Year entered service: 1987
Type: Silenced assault rifle
Maximum effective range: 984 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 9x39mm SP-6

3. VSS Vintorez

Year entered service: 1987
Type: Silenced sniper rifle
Maximum effective range: 1,312 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 9x39mm SP-5

2. Dragunov SVD

Year entered service: 1963
Type: Semi-automatic sniper rifle
Maximum effective range: 4,265 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 7.62x54mmR Soviet, 9x54mm, 9.3x64mm Brenneke, .308 Winchester

1. Makarov PM

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Year entered service: 1951
Type: Semi-automatic pistol
Maximum effective range: 164 ft.
Caliber/ammunition: 9x18mm Makarov

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