Infantry Weapons

KPV

The KPV is a Soviet 14.5x114 mm heavy machine gun designed by Semyon Vladimirov and produced at the V. A. Degtyarev Plant. Its high-energy cartridge made it useful against light armor, field positions, small craft, and low-flying aircraft, so the family spread from the original infantry gun into KPVT vehicle guns, ZPU anti-aircraft mounts, and modern improvised mounts seen in the Russia-Ukraine War.

Russia-Ukraine WarUkraine

Conflict side: Ukraine
Built by: V. A. Degtyarev Plant (ZiD)
Built in: Soviet UnionRussia

KPV, 14.5 mm heavy machine gun, Infantry Weapons

Profile

Type: 14.5 mm heavy machine gun
Conflict side: Ukraine
Origin: Soviet Union
Service note: Entered Soviet service in 1949; still used in vehicle, naval, and anti-aircraft mounts.

heavy machine gunanti-aircraftanti-tank

Service History

In service: 1949-present
Used by: Ukrainian Armed Forces, Russian Armed Forces, Former Soviet and Warsaw Pact operators
Wars: Russia-Ukraine War

Production History

Designer: Semyon Vladimirov
Designed: 1944 design; postwar refinement before 1949 service entry
Built by: V. A. Degtyarev Plant (ZiD)
Built in: Soviet UnionRussia
Produced: 1949-present
Variants: KPV, KPVT, ZPU-series mounts

Specifications

Caliber: 14.5x114 mm
Operation: Short recoil operation with rotary bolt
Feed: Metallic belt, commonly 40 or 50 rounds depending on variant
Rate of fire: About 550-600 rounds per minute cyclic
Muzzle velocity: About 990-1,005 m/s depending on ammunition
Weight: About 52.5 kg for KPVT gun body
Effective range: About 2 km against ground targets and 1.4-2 km class against air targets depending on mount and sights

Conflict Usage

Russia-Ukraine War: Side: Ukraine
Ukrainian forces have used KPV/KPVT 14.5 mm machine guns in improvised and vehicle-mounted roles, including KPVT-armed technicals and Czech MR-2 Viktor air-defense pickups supplied for counter-UAV defense.

KPV Images

KPV, 14.5 mm heavy machine gun, Infantry Weapons - view 1

KPV, 14.5 mm heavy machine gun, Infantry Weapons - view 2

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Sources

Vladimirov KPVPublisher: Weaponsystems.net | Note: Supports general background, variants, ammunition, operating system, rate of fire, range, and platform context for the KPV/KPVT family. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Vladimirov KPVT Heavy Tank Machine GunPublisher: GunRF | Note: Supports design history, 1949 Soviet fielding, Degtyarev Plant production, operation, ammunition feed, and KPVT specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Zenitnyi kompleks MR-2 ViktorPublisher: ArmyInform | Note: Supports Ukrainian use of MR-2 Viktor pickups with paired KPVT 14.5 mm guns for counter-UAV and low-altitude air-defense missions during the Russia-Ukraine War. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Volga Sedan Turned Into Machine Gun-Toting Tactical Vehicle By Ukrainian ForcesPublisher: The War Zone | Note: Supports Ukrainian improvised vehicle use of a KPVT 14.5 mm heavy machine gun in the Russia-Ukraine War. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 KPVside.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing for the primary KPV image; the file is available under CC BY-SA 3.0/GFDL terms. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 KPVrear.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing for the gallery image; the file is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike/GFDL terms. | Accessed: 2026-06-20