Hopak-61 rifle presented at Ukrainian arms inspection

Update 150828: A new image of the Hopak-61 rifle has surfaced (below), taken at the Arms & Security 2015 (ЗБРОЯ ТА БЕЗПЕКА – 2015) expo in Kiev and posted less than an hour ago. The rifle is manufactured by Mayak JSC, and is described as a modernised AKM rifle ‘operational-portable’.

Hopak-61

Michael Smallwood

Amongst arms and equipment inspected by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on the 4th of April, one suppressed rifle stands out. The display of military hardware took place at a National Guard of Ukraine (NGU) training centre outside of Kiev, and displayed predominantly Ukrainian-produced armoured vehicles, small arms and light weapons, unmanned aerial vehicles.

In a line of small arms and light weapons on display shown above, the second-from-left rifle, with what appears to be an integral suppressor and bipod , is unfamiliar. A media release from the NGU sheds further light, listing among the arms displayed the Гопак-61, or ‘Hopak-61’. A machine-translation of its description reads “operational portable rifle, based on AK/AKM”. While the Hopak-61 appears to have a wholly conventional AKM-style receiver, complete with gas block, no gas tube is visible. This could indicate that the rifle is blowback operated, likely chambered for a pistol calibre cartridge, or that it is manually operated. 

Another weapon of note is seen on the far right, more easily identifiable in the photograph below. The UAG-40 automatic grenade launcher (AGL) is tripod-mounted, belt-fed, and capable of a 2200 metre maximum range. It is chambered for the 40 x 53SR mm cartridge, common amongst NATO and allied nations’ AGLs, and weighs less than 30 kg complete with tripod. The UAG-40 is manufactured by the Leninska Kuznya plant in Kiev. Previously only the AGS-17 AGL has been documented in service with Ukrainian security forces, as noted in ARES Research Report 3, Raising Red Flags on arms, munitions and equipment of the Ukrainian conflict. 

UAG-40

ARES would be interested in receiving further information on the Hopak-61 from anyone who may have material to share. You can contact us at: armsID@armamentresearch.com 

Special thanks to N.R. Jenzen-Jones, @AbraxasSpa, and Jonathan Ferguson for their assistance.