Understand
Why Ukrainian Soldiers Avoid Carrying the Most Powerful Machine Gun on the Battlefield
Overview
A recent machine gun test by United 24 demonstrated the destructive power of various weapon systems on a car, revealing that the weapon causing the most visible damage—the DShK—is actively avoided by Ukrainian infantry. From an infantry perspective, raw destructive power is secondary to practical concerns such as weight, maintenance, ammunition availability, and ease of handling under constant drone surveillance. While heavy guns like the DShK or M2 Browning excel in firepower and vehicle destruction, weapons like the older PKM are preferred because they demand less from exhausted crews operating in high-risk environments.
Key points
- United 24 tested five machine guns (PKM, M249, FN MAG, M2 Browning, and DShK) by firing at a car to evaluate their destructive power.
- The DShK caused the most visible damage to the car, but it is considered the least practical for infantry units due to its weight and the high cost of transporting it under active drone observation.
- Weapons like the PKM remain popular among Ukrainian soldiers because their simple, durable design and common ammunition type are well-suited for troops under stress and irregular supply chains.
- NATO weapons such as the M249 and FN MAG offer strong suppressive fire capabilities but require more maintenance and are prone to jamming if improperly cared for.
- Car doors and passenger compartments provide poor cover against rifle and machine gun rounds, countering common Hollywood myths.
- The primary measure of a machine gun's battlefield value is not its destructive output, but what it costs an exhausted crew to carry, feed, hide, and service under fire.