MOSCOW (Web Desk) – A video circulating on social media reportedly shows a Russian soldier operating a powerful machine gun designed for installation on a helicopter before it spins out of control shortly after firing begins.
The footage appears to show a Russian soldier preparing to fire a four-barrel YakB-12.7 machine gun, a weapon typically mounted on the nose of the Soviet-era Mi-24 attack helicopter. In the video, however, the weapon is installed on a fixed ground platform.
As soon as the soldier pulls the trigger, the machine gun appears to lose stability due to its powerful recoil and begins rotating rapidly in different directions on its mount. Soldiers nearby are seen running for cover, while one soldier standing in the line of fire narrowly escapes.
A Russian soldier testing a YakB-12.7 four-barrel rotary machine gun, originally designed to be mounted on a Mi-24 Hind helicopter, was sent flying when the gun suddenly broke free from its mount. The weapon, capable of firing up to 5,000 rounds per minute, swung uncontrollably… pic.twitter.com/S0PZ3PE2cH
— TRT World (@trtworld) July 13, 2026Russian authorities have not issued an official statement regarding whether it resulted in any injuries.
Some social media users have claimed the incident occurred during a training exercise in which a Russian mobile fire group was practising counter-drone operations.
The YakB-12.7 is an aircraft weapon specifically designed for use on helicopters. Helicopters are equipped with systems to absorb the weapon's heavy recoil, making the gun potentially hazardous if operated manually from a ground-mounted platform.
The machine gun is capable of firing approximately 4,000 to 5,000 rounds per minute. Developed during the late Cold War, it uses 12.7×108mm ammunition, the same calibre used in Soviet heavy machine guns, and can be fitted with an ammunition belt carrying around 1,500 rounds.
According to reports, the Russian military mounted the helicopter-specific YakB-12.7 machine gun on a fixed platform for testing. A technical malfunction caused the weapon to spin out of control, throwing the operator to the ground and nearly striking another soldier.