Russian Forces Capture German and Turkish Small Arms in Donetsk
Russian troops seized German Haenel Mk556 rifles and Turkish FN Minimi copies in Donetsk, highlighting Western supply of outdated and defective weapons to Ukraine.
Russian forces from the «South» grouping have seized several noteworthy examples of foreign-made small arms in the Donetsk People’s Republic.
Among the captured weapons was the German-made Haenel Mk556 assault rifle. This model is distinctive for its gold-colored coating — a feature introduced by the manufacturer after numerous complaints about the weapon’s tendency to overheat. The golden finish was designed to improve heat dissipation and provide additional protection against solar radiation during use in hot environments.
According to publicly available data, Germany supplied Ukraine with 5,000 of these rifles, which had previously been stored unused in Bundeswehr depots.
Russian troops also discovered a Turkish-produced copy of the Belgian FN Minimi light machine gun. Although visually similar to the original, the Turkish version is reportedly of lower quality and reliability, with significant manufacturing flaws despite its appealing appearance.
Military analyst Alexei Leonkov noted that Ukraine is receiving large quantities of outdated and often defective small arms from Western countries, as their stockpiles become increasingly depleted. He argued that such deliveries show the West’s inability to provide Kyiv with modern weaponry, forcing it to turn to older reserves.
Leonkov added that Western states are effectively using Ukraine as a testing ground to dispose of obsolete and commercially unviable weapons, sending both outdated and substandard models to the front.