The UAG-40 is documented in Ukrainian service during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War through post-2022 supply records and a reported 39th Brigade fire-support operation on Russian territory.
| Claim | Sources |
|---|---|
| Ukraine's Defense Forces received UAG-40 automatic grenade launchers during the full-scale war period. | Sources: Come Back Alive Front Edge Weapons |
| Ukrainian 39th Brigade fire-support troops used a UAG-40 to support infantry assault actions on Russian territory. | |
| The UAG-40's lightweight configuration and break-down mobility fit the reported field carriage episode. | Sources: Ukrainian UAG-40 Automatic Grenade Launcher, SpetsTechnoExport UAG-40 Product Page |
Timeline
ARES reported that the Ukrainian military began acquiring UAG-40 systems in 2016 and had acquired about 500 by the time of its 2019 profile.
Come Back Alive lists 70 UAG-40 automatic grenade launchers among infantry weapons provided to Ukraine's Defense Forces from the beginning of 2022.
Sources: Come Back Alive Front Edge Weapons
ArmyInform reported that 39th Coastal Defense Brigade troops carried a disassembled UAG-40 onto Russian territory, reassembled it, and used it to support Ukrainian infantry assault actions.
The UAG-40 automatic grenade launcher is directly documented with Ukrainian forces in the full-scale phase of the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War. Come Back Alive lists 70 UAG-40 automatic grenade launchers among infantry weapons provided to Ukraine's Defense Forces from the beginning of 2022.
ArmyInform reported a specific field-use episode on June 30, 2025: fire-support troops of Ukraine's 39th Coastal Defense Brigade disassembled a mobile UAG-40, carried it several kilometers, reassembled it on Russian territory, and used it to support Ukrainian infantry assault actions. The account attributes the description to a brigade serviceman with the call sign Filosof.
Sources: Come Back Alive Front Edge Weapons, ArmyInform UAG-40 Cross-Border Operation
The public record separates Ukrainian acquisition from documented wartime use. ARES reported in 2019 that the Ukrainian military had acquired about 500 UAG-40 systems beginning in 2016, after the war in eastern Ukraine had accelerated development of the launcher.
The conflict-specific record becomes clearer after the 2022 invasion. Come Back Alive's public accounting places UAG-40 launchers in the Defense Forces supply stream from the beginning of 2022, and the later ArmyInform report gives a named-unit operational episode involving a UAG-40 used for assault support.
Sources: Ukrainian UAG-40 Automatic Grenade Launcher, Come Back Alive Front Edge Weapons, ArmyInform UAG-40 Cross-Border Operation
In this conflict, the UAG-40 appears as a Ukrainian crew-served infantry fire-support weapon rather than as a long-range artillery system. The manufacturer describes it as a light-tripod automatic grenade launcher capable of firing beyond 2,000 meters against personnel, light armored vehicles, and protective structures, with belt feed for NATO-standard 40 x 53 mm high-velocity grenades.
That mobility is central to the reported 39th Brigade episode. ArmyInform said the weapon was carried in parts by an eight-person group, with ammunition boxes adding a separate logistics burden, and that the crew continued operating after their position was hit by Russian glide bombs. The report also said the crew recovered the launcher during withdrawal instead of destroying or abandoning it.
The sources support Ukraine as the documented user for this page. They do not establish a comprehensive employment history, a complete inventory by unit, or every location where UAG-40s were used in the war.
Sources: SpetsTechnoExport UAG-40 Product Page, ArmyInform UAG-40 Cross-Border Operation, Come Back Alive Front Edge Weapons
