A dramatic viral video shows a Russian training exercise turning chaotic after a soldier lost control of a helicopter-mounted machine gun, sending the weapon spinning wildly atop a military truck.
The footage shows the serviceman firing a YakB-12.7 rotary machine gun — a weapon normally found on Mi-24 attack helicopters — that appears to have been hastily mounted on a military truck for use against Ukrainian drones.
Seconds after opening fire, the weapon begins spinning uncontrollably.
Thrown from the weapon
The soldier is whipped around the rotating mount and thrown off his feet as live rounds fire across the training area.
Another serviceman dives for cover just before the spinning barrel sweeps past him. After the weapon finally comes to a stop, the gunner climbs back to his feet. Online reports claim no one was injured, although that has not been independently verified.
Several soldiers can be seen laughing once the immediate danger has passed.
Improvised anti-drone weapon
The YakB-12.7 is designed for use on attack helicopters and is capable of firing thousands of rounds each minute.
The improvised weapon also illustrates how seriously Russia views the drone threat. Military analysts estimate that FPV and surveillance drones now account for the vast majority of Russian battlefield losses — often placing the figure between 80% and 90%. With Russian fatalities estimated at around 450,000, Moscow has increasingly turned to mobile anti-drone teams and unconventional weapons in an effort to blunt Ukraine’s expanding drone campaign.
Military analyst Ian Matveev and several Russian military bloggers said the footage appears genuine, though its exact location and date remain unknown.
Questions remain
Russian officials have not commented on the video, and no official casualty information has been released.
The footage has quickly spread across social media, where critics have cited it as another example of the risks associated with Russia’s increasingly improvised battlefield tactics. Without official confirmation, however, details about the unit involved and whether anyone suffered injuries remain unclear.
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