The Source of the Guns of Ukraine … And Suppressed Mortar, Maxim Machine Guns and Car Stopping 12 Gauge Rounds
Armament Research Services (ARES) researchers Jonathan Ferguson & N.R. Jenzen-Jones have produced an exhaustive report, Raising Red Flags: An Examination of the Arms and Munitions in the Ongoing Conflict un Ukraine 2014.
I know both Jonathan and Nic personally, and have no doubt their report is objective. Both Jonathan Ferguson and one of the technical reviewers are bloggers here at TFB. They found that while the pro-Russian separatists have received external support, there is no direct evidence that this support is coming from the Russian government. Most of the equipment has been looted from the Ukrainian government. They write …
ARES has assessed that it is very likely that pro-Russian separatist forces have received some level of support from one or more external parties, however the level of state complicity in such activity remains unclear. Despite the presence of arms, munitions, and armoured vehicles designed, produced, and allegedly even sourced from Russia, there remains no direct evidence of Russian government complicity in the trafficking of arms into the area (Reuters, 2014c). The majority of arms and munitions documented in service with separatist forces have evidently been appropriated from the Ukrainian security forces and their installations within Ukraine.
The report is a very interesting read for any gun enthusiast. Here are a selection of interesting photos from the report, including a suppressed DIY mortar and a car-killer shotgun slug …
Read the full report here.
I founded TFB in 2007 and over 10 years worked tirelessly, with the help of my team, to build it up into the largest gun blog online. I retired as Editor in Chief in 2017. During my decade at TFB I was fortunate to work with the most amazing talented writers and genuinely good people!
More by Steve Johnson
![[SHOT 2026] HM Defense Peak Pressure Reservoir and Booster System](https://cdn-fastly.thefirearmblog.com/media/2026/01/21/11421/post.jpg?size=350x220)
![[SHOT 2026] 80% Is Back - The G80 Pistol Build Kits](https://cdn-fastly.thefirearmblog.com/media/2026/01/22/20171/post.jpg?size=350x220)
![[SHOT 2026] DoubleTap SnakeShot Magnum - Dual-Projectile Defense Loads](https://cdn-fastly.thefirearmblog.com/media/2026/01/26/19411/post.jpg?size=350x220)
![[SHOT 2026] Savage Arms Builds A Better Model 110 (And Slug Guns, Too)](https://cdn-fastly.thefirearmblog.com/media/2026/01/23/15021/post.jpg?size=350x220)
Comments
Join the conversation
That "car-stopping" / armor-piercing thimble-shaped 12-gauge projectile has a close resemblance to the solid-steel Monolit 32S slug made by Latvian ammunition manufacturer DDupleks ( some of the readers on TFB will be familiar with the wide range of DDupleks shotgun slug ammunition available here in the U.S., the 32S included ), except for the addition of the cone-shaped extension ( presumably to aid aerodynamics as well as on-target penetration ) in the nose of the slug. Interestingly, DDupleks has for some years now offered their own armor-piercing AP-20 12-gauge steel slug, approved exclusively for military and LEO use and which is not currently available to the civilian user market. The AP-20, however, looks very different from its own siblings, and from the Russian slug pictured above. It incorporates a streamlined long-nosed penetrator --- described by the manufacturers as being "arrow-shaped" --- with a wider-diameter stabilizing base, and is advertised as being able to fully penetrate NIJ Level IV body armor, protective cover such as brick, metal and concrete walls, steel engine blocks and pressed-steel automotive wheels, etc.
It would be really interesting --- if someone could lay their hands on both the Russian AP ammunition and the DDupleks AP-20 --- to do a direct side-by-side performance comparison of the two types, while using the Monolit 32S as an established baseline.
Those readers who may want to know more about DDupleks ammunition can start off by taking a closer look at www.ddupleks.com to get a feel for what is on offer. Here in the U.S., the two chief distributors of DDupleks products appear to be SG Ammo and Midway USA, at least as far as I know at this point.
I can't remember the report, pretty sure it was here as well, but it shows very clearly that there are very very few AK-74Ms in hands of DNR and LNR forces. Mostly AK-74 with wooden or plum plastic furniture and AKS-74. Which in itself renders virtually irrelevant almost all the accusation if Russian involvement in supply of "separatists". Since Ukraine is armed with weapons manufactured in Soviet times, and has a lot of war stocks on its territory, it would be impossible to tell unless someone tries to pull up documentation and match up serial numbers. All AKs are made at IzhMash facility in Izhevsk which makes both sides use Russian arms. Unless Ukraine wants to go full retard and buy foreign arms when own country is so full of them.