Profile
- Type
- 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun
- Conflict side
- Ukraine
- Origin
- Soviet Union
- Service note
- Introduced in the Cold War and still in widespread service
Infantry Weapons
PKM/PK
The PK and lighter PKM are Soviet-designed, belt-fed 7.62x54R general-purpose machine guns used from bipods, tripods, vehicles, and improvised mounts. Their low weight for the class, non-disintegrating belt feed, quick-change barrel concept, and wide Warsaw Pact distribution make the family a common infantry fire-support weapon in the Russia-Ukraine War, where Ukrainian units continue to operate PKM-pattern guns alongside newer and foreign-supplied machine guns.
- Conflict side
- Ukraine
Service History
- In service
- PK adopted in the early 1960s; PKM modernized variant remains in service
- Used by
- Ukrainian Armed Forces, International Legion for the Defence of Ukraine
- Wars
- Russia-Ukraine War
Production History
- Designer
- Mikhail Kalashnikov design team
- Designed
- Late 1950s to 1960s
- Produced
- 1960s-present, including licensed variants
- Variants
- PK, PKM, PKMS, PKT, PKMB
Specifications
- Caliber
- 7.62x54R
- Operation
- Gas-operated automatic fire
- Feed
- Non-disintegrating metal belts in 100-, 200-, or 250-round boxes
- Length
- 1,160 mm for the PKM identification-sheet example
- Unloaded weight
- 7.55 kg in the Small Arms Survey PKM example; 8.5 kg empty in Rosoboronexport's PKM data
- Barrel length
- 643 mm in the Small Arms Survey PKM example
- Muzzle velocity
- 825 m/s
- Rate of fire
- 600-800 rounds per minute cyclic; about 250 rounds per minute practical rate cited in the identification sheet
- Sighting range
- 1,500 m
Conflict Usage
- Russia-Ukraine War
- Side: Ukraine
Documented with Ukrainian forces during the full-scale war, including front-line International Legion service, and treated as one of the belt-fed weapons used by Ukraine's Defense Forces.
Related Weapon Systems
PKP Pecheneg7.62 mm general-purpose machine gunThe PKP Pecheneg is a Russian 7.62x54mmR belt-fed machine gun derived from the PKM but built around a heavier forced-air-cooled barrel and forward bipod for sustained squad fire. It remains a Russian infantry support weapon and has also appeared in Ukraine, including separatist use reported during the Donbas phase of the war and later Ukrainian use of captured examples.
RPK/RPK-74Squad automatic weapon / light machine gunThe RPK and RPK-74 are Kalashnikov-pattern squad automatic weapons that extend the AK family with a longer, heavier barrel, bipod, and higher-capacity magazines for sustained fire by infantry sections. The 7.62 x 39 mm RPK paralleled the AKM, while the 5.45 x 39 mm RPK-74 followed the AK-74; both remain relevant in the Russia-Ukraine War because legacy Soviet and Russian stocks continue to appear in front-line small-arms holdings.
AK-125.45 mm assault rifleThe AK-12 is a Russian 5.45x39 mm assault rifle developed by Kalashnikov Concern as a modernized service weapon with improved ergonomics, accessory rails, optical-sight compatibility, and an adjustable folding stock. In the Russia-Ukraine War it appears as a Russian frontline small arm, while captured examples became visible in Ukrainian hands during the opening phase of the 2022 invasion.
AK-74M5.45 mm assault rifleThe AK-74M is the modernized Russian production model of the AK-74 family, chambered for 5.45x39 mm ammunition with black polymer furniture and a left-folding stock. In the Russia-Ukraine War it remains a baseline infantry rifle for Russian regular units, even as AK-12 rifles supplement it and older AKM rifles appear among mobilized troops.
AKM7.62x39mm assault rifleThe AKM is the stamped-receiver modernization of the Soviet Kalashnikov assault rifle, chambered for 7.62x39mm and built around a long-stroke gas piston and rotating bolt. Its lower production burden, broad Warsaw Pact and licensed manufacture, and large legacy stocks keep it visible in the Russia-Ukraine War, where Ukrainian personnel have trained with AKM rifles and CAR documented AKM examples recovered from Russian-backed formations in eastern Ukraine.
AKMSFolding-stock 7.62x39mm assault rifleThe AKMS is the under-folding-stock variant of the Soviet AKM assault rifle, retaining the AKM's stamped receiver, gas-operated selective-fire action, and 7.62x39mm chambering while giving airborne, vehicle-mounted, and compact-carry users a shorter folded profile. In the Russia-Ukraine War, ARES documented a specific AKMS seized by Ukrainian police from an alleged Russian saboteur, illustrating how older Kalashnikov-pattern rifles still appear alongside newer small arms.Sources
PK (& close variants) Weapons Identification SheetPublisher: Small Arms Survey | Note: Supports PK/PKM identification, caliber, dimensions, weight, operating system, feed device, variants, and broad background. | Accessed: 2026-06-20PKMPublisher: Rosoboronexport | Note: Supports current PKM export specifications, including caliber, ammunition, cyclic rate, sighting range, empty weight, and belt capacity. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Small Arms Production in RussiaPublisher: Saferworld | Note: Supports Russian small-arms production background, Kovrov-area Kalashnikov machine-gun production, and listed PKM-family products. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Ukraine Debuts Murena Feed System to Power Heavy Machine Guns and Combat RobotsPublisher: UNITED24 Media | Note: Supports direct Russia-Ukraine War context by identifying PKM as a belt-fed weapon used by Ukraine's Defense Forces. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Polish Volunteer Found His Honor in Ranks of Ukraine's Armed ForcesPublisher: Defense Express | Note: Supports direct Russia-Ukraine War context for PKM use by a Polish volunteer serving in Ukraine's International Legion. | Accessed: 2026-06-20File:PK machine gun.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing; the file page identifies the image as a PKM machine gun and lists CC0 public-domain dedication. | Accessed: 2026-06-20