A Russian soldier narrowly avoided killing his comrades after a rotary machine gun spun out of control during a military training exercise, according to dramatic footage circulating online.
Weapon spins violently, dragging soldier
The video appears to show a soldier firing a mounted YakB-12.7 machine gun before it begins to rotate violently, overwhelming its mounting system. Despite desperately trying to hold on, the soldier gets dragged by the weapon as it spins faster and faster. Eventually, he is thrown into the air and flung over a nearby barrier.
Other troops nearby can be seen ducking to avoid bullets spraying across the training range. To stop the weapon, another soldier steps in and crouches underneath to slow it down with his hand. However, after touching the weapon, he appears to recoil from its intense heat.
Footage widely shared but unverified
The footage has been widely shared online, with many describing it as a disastrous training exercise. However, the video has not been independently verified, and it is unclear when or where it was filmed. Online posts claim it shows a Russian mobile fire group using a YakB-12.7 rotary machine gun, a four-barrel weapon originally developed for the Mil Mi-24 ‘Hind’ attack helicopter rather than ground-based firing.
It is also not yet known whether anyone was injured during the incident. Social media users speculated about the cause, with several suggesting the weapon may have been mounted incorrectly.
Context of Russian military struggles
This incident comes amid reports that Ukraine has destroyed 49 of Russia’s shadow fleet ships in a series of crippling strikes. Vladimir Putin’s fleet was rocked by 14 new attacks last month, deepening chaos at Russia’s petrol stations. The total number of vessels lost reached nearly 50, almost all of them oil tankers supplying fuel to Crimea and other Ukrainian territory annexed by the Kremlin. The crisis was described as ‘catastrophic,’ with the Kremlin scrambling to hide the consequences, one report warned.
