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I still say the old Army Tradition of putting the idiot in a room with a bottle of whiskey and a loaded pistol needs to come back in style. Grumpy
Both do use AK pattern guns, with main caliber being 5.45×39, though Ukraine isn’t using them exclusively.
Current standard Russian issue rifle is the Kalashnikov AK-12, which is a modernized iteration of the AK-74, itself a variant of the AK rifle chambered in 5.45×39. This one has better sights, top mounting rail, foldable stock, etc:
Ukraine is less consistent. Its been trying to get away from Kalashnikov pattern guns, in part just for symbolic reasons, but also to go to NATO standard. Right now, I think its more tolerant of “use whatever we can get” so individual soldiers may be using non standard guns.
Its got plenty of AK-74 rifles still in service, but its also has other AK pattern guns, including individual AK-12 rifles its captured from Russians, and older AKM guns in 7.62×39. Its also got some AR-15 pattern and other rifles in both NATO standard 5.56×45, but also 5.45×39.
Reportedly some Ukrainian special forces are carrying Fort-221 rifles, which are licensed copies of Israeli Tavor rifles in 5.54×39:
Civilian/export version of Ukranian UAR-15, which is domestic version of AR15. There was some talk of Ukraine adopting this, but I don’t think its happened yet.
Interestingly some of the older Mosin-Nagant bolt action rifles have seen some field use on both sides mostly out of expedience. They’re available, the 7.62x54R ammo is available (its still commonly used for machine guns), and these are modifiable into passable designated marksman/sniper rifles:
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The Battle Of Gandamak
Towards the end of the 1842 retreat from Kabul, the last survivors of the 44th of Foot (East Essex Regiment) on the 13th of January 1842 made a heroic last stand against Afghan tribesmen.With General Elphinstone’s army mostly destroyed in the valleys between Kabul and safety, 20 officers and 45 soldiers tried to push on to the garrison at Jalalabad, but quickly found themselves surrounded.
Moving to a snowy hill outside the village of Gandamak, with limited muskets and shot, the heroic men refused to surrender. When pressed to give up by the Afghans, a British sergeant is said to have cried back “Not bloody likely”. In what was a most savage massacre of the army, one can only imagine what they had seen happen to the injured who fell behind and what could be done with by the sharp blades of the avenging Afghans.
Multiple charges were fought off by hand to hand fighting, but each time more and more men fell. Sniping also took a heavy toll, a skill the Afghans had perfected during this period, usual from the hilltops down into advancing columns of men.
When the final charge took place, a Captain Souter was taken captive rather than killed. This was due to him wearing the regimental colours of the 44th around his waist to protect them. This fanciful appearance, had him mistook for a general or higher-ranking officer. He was taken prisoner at the very end alongside a handful of others.
The remaining men fell on the hill, and it is believed that evidence of the battle could still be seen as late as the 1970’S, indeed even to the 2010’s. Being in such a remote and arid location, I could well imagine this being the case.