Ukrainian Drone Pilots Turn Captured AK Rifle Into Airborne Machine Gun Using Hard-Drive Magnet
Ukrainian drone operators have built an unconventional weapon by mounting a captured Kalashnikov rifle onto a drone with the help of a hard-drive magnet, creating an airborne gun that has sent Russian soldiers fleeing.
Ukrainian soldiers on the front line continue to find inventive ways to repurpose available equipment for combat use. One of the latest examples comes from drone pilots who devised a way to attach a captured Russian-made Kalashnikov rifle to a drone, using a magnet salvaged from a computer hard drive to secure it in place.
A rocky start
The first attempts to fly the improvised weapon were far from smooth. The rifle, mounted on the drone, swung back and forth like a pendulum, making stable flight and accurate control difficult.
Achieving stability
After adjustments, the pilots managed to steady the setup, turning it into a functioning airborne weapon capable of firing an assault rifle while in flight.
Impact on Russian troops
Once the device was stabilized, the sound of automatic rifle fire coming from the sky was enough to make Russian soldiers run from their positions. The appearance of such an improvised weapon on the battlefield illustrates how Ukrainian units keep experimenting with low-cost solutions, combining captured military equipment with everyday electronic components.
The case fits into a broader pattern in which both sides of the war continue to adapt drones for new roles previously carried out with conventional weapons.
