Kathrine Frich
Many people zeroed in on the highly questionable setup.
When military hardware gets repurposed, things get unpredictable fast.
You might think heavy firepower is always kept under strict control on a practice range.
But sometimes, basic physics steps in to prove everyone wrong.
A wild spin
A recent training drill turned to chaos when a Russian soldier lost his grip on a heavy weapon. The moment was caught on camera. It is now flying across social platforms.
According to the Daily Mail, the footage shows a fire group operating a YakB-12.7 rotary machine gun.
That specific weapon was built for Mil Mi-24 attack helicopters. Moving it to a ground mount turned out to be a massive mistake.
Over the barrier
The clip starts calmly. One soldier mans the gun while a colleague stands feet away.
Then the shooting starts. Within seconds, the sheer recoil overpowers the mounting stand.
The massive gun suddenly begins to spin. Instead of shooting straight, the weapon whirls in rapid circles, dragging the desperate operator along for the dizzying ride.
The man fights desperately to keep his grip. The spinning setup just whirls faster, eventually launching his body over a nearby wooden barrier.
Grabbing hot metal
Bullets seem to keep firing in every direction. Other troops scramble out of the way to avoid the unpredictable spray.
Finally, a different soldier rushes into the frame. He manages to grab the mount and halt the weapon.
He then reaches out and touches the barrel. He instantly pulls his hand back, forgetting how hot metal gets during automatic fire.
The Daily Mail could not verify the video’s origin. It is completely unknown if anyone was hurt during the accident.
Viewers spot the flaws
Online viewers were quick to pull the disaster apart. Many people zeroed in on the highly questionable setup.
One online commenter spotted a clear engineering flaw right away. “In the end you can see they mounted it off-bore. So once the recoil starts turning the barrel it will just accelerate,” they wrote.
Another viewer pointed out the burned hand. “Even after that spectacular display of stupidity, the guy with the bandana feels the need to one up him and touches the searing hot gun barrel,” one person joked, adding, “(That’s gonna leave a mark.)”
Another user summed up the mess perfectly. “Physics is cool. Instructor grabbing hot barrel after? Chef’s kiss,” they wrote.
Sources: Daily Mail
