Direct proof of use
Armament Research Services documented an AKMS self-loading rifle among weapons and equipment seized by the National Police of Ukraine from an alleged Russian saboteur in Zaporizhzhia on March 9, 2022. ARES identified the seized small arms as including a PM self-loading pistol, the AKMS rifle, several magazines, and weapon accessories.
The same ARES account places the incident in the opening weeks of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and treats the AKMS as recovered equipment associated with an alleged sabotage case, not as proof of broad AKMS issue to a regular unit.
Sources: Weapons & equipment seized from alleged Russian saboteurs in Ukraine (2022)
Timeline
The dated AKMS-specific milestone is March 9, 2022, when Ukrainian police arrested the alleged saboteur in Zaporizhzhia and seized the AKMS. ARES published its review on March 25, 2022 with an information cut-off date of March 9, connecting the seizure to reports of alleged Russian sabotage activity after the February 24 invasion.
Sources: Weapons & equipment seized from alleged Russian saboteurs in Ukraine (2022)
Narrative
The AKMS record in this conflict is best described as a documented seizure of a legacy Kalashnikov-pattern small arm. ARES reported that most of the magazines recovered in the Zaporizhzhia case were 5.45x39 mm AK-74 magazines, while only one was compatible with the 7.62x39 mm AKMS; ARES noted that this could indicate additional weapons were not recovered during the arrest.
The seizure also included a commercial UAV and a remote-controlled helicopter, which ARES discussed as possible reconnaissance equipment. That context links the AKMS to an alleged sabotage-equipment package rather than to a named battle, unit inventory, or firing incident.
Sources: Weapons & equipment seized from alleged Russian saboteurs in Ukraine (2022)
