Moment blundering Russian soldier loses control of helicopter machine gun during training and fires at comrades
The footage shows him being spun around in circles as the mounted weapon continues firing
Footage circulating online appears to show a Russian soldier being flung to the ground after losing control of a mounted helicopter machine gun.
Listen to this article
The video, which has not been independently verified, shows a soldier standing beside a YakB-12.7 machine gun fixed to a pivot mount.
He appears to prepare to fire the weapon before pulling the trigger.
Almost immediately, the force of the gun seems to send him airborne as he clings to it.
The footage then shows him being spun around in circles as the mounted weapon continues firing. A cloud of grey smoke can be seen coming from the turret as it rotates.
Read More: Tommy Robinson taken on trip to Russia with Elon Musk’s family foundation, reveals father Errol
Read More: FIFA to discuss lifting ban on Russian teams as IOC paves way for return to Olympics
Moments later, the gun comes to a stop and the soldier is thrown to the ground by its momentum. He then appears to get back up, while another recruit can be heard laughing.
The YakB-12.7 was originally designed for use on the Russian Mil Mi-24 “Hind” attack helicopter.
It is not clear where the footage was filmed or whether anyone was injured.
The clip comes as Russia continues to suffer heavy losses in its war in Ukraine, which is now moving towards a fifth year.
A report last month claimed the average life expectancy of Russian troops on the front line was just 20 minutes.
Russia is also believed to have suffered more than 1.5 million casualties since the start of the war.
At the same time, Ukraine has been intensifying strikes on Russian energy infrastructure in what has been described as an effort to force Moscow to the negotiating table.
In recent weeks, Kyiv has launched a series of attacks deep inside Russia and in occupied Crimea, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014.
Ukrainian forces are trying to isolate the peninsula by targeting key land routes linking it to mainland Russia.
Last week, Ukraine said it had struck 76 vessels in Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, used to transport oil while avoiding Western sanctions.
Drone attacks have also hit oil terminals in Moscow and St Petersburg, adding to pressure on Russia’s energy supplies.
Blackouts have been reported, and some petrol stations have been told to stop selling fuel to local people.
Vladimir Putin recently acknowledged Russia was facing “problems” because of limited energy supplies.