Russian state TV shows military using U.S.-made sniper rifles and ammunition, despite 2014 embargo

Screenshot of a documentary broadcast on Channel One showing a U.S.-made Desert Tech rifle inscribed with the phrase “Zа Россию” (“Za Rossiyu,” lit. “For Russia”), with the first letter Z being a well-known symbol of support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

RU

Russian state broadcaster Channel One (Pervy Kanal) has aired footage of Russian military snipers using American-made Desert Tech rifles and Hornady ammunition, despite a Western arms embargo that has been in place since 2014. While Russian pro-war bloggers have previously acknowledged the use of Western weapons by Russian forces, this is the first time such equipment has appeared on the screens of a national broadcaster. The footage was aired on Dec. 9, 2024, in the documentary Snipers: Between Heartbeats, which highlights the role of snipers in the Russian military, focusing on the so-called “Yary Team” from the 155th Pacific Fleet Marine Brigade.

The broadcast confirms that, despite multiple investigative reports, the Russian army continues to receive Western sniper rifles and ammunition, significantly enhancing its long-range combat capabilities. The Insider has obtained serial numbers for 134 American-made Desert Tech rifles and nine interchangeable barrels registered in Russia after the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine.

The 155th Marine Brigade has been active in key battles, including Pavlivka in 2022, the assault on Vuhledar in 2023, and ongoing attempts to retake Ukrainian-held positions in Russia’s Kursk Region. Soldiers from this brigade have been repeatedly accused of committing war crimes, including the beheading of prisoners. The documentary highlights the brigade’s sniper unit, led by Major Yaroslav Yakubov, known by the call sign “Yary.” Yakubov is one of the most publicized snipers in the Russian army and serves as the chairman of the Russian Combat Sniping Federation.

Beyond Yakubov’s unit, at least two other Russian military units have been documented using American weapons. During the battles for Popasna in Ukraine’s Luhansk Region, a Russian sniper wearing a GRU reconnaissance insignia was photographed with a Desert Tech SRS HTI rifle chambered in .375 Chey Tac and .50 BMG. These images, originally taken in the spring of 2022, were published on Mar. 26, 2023. A subsequent post on Jul. 30, 2023, revealed that snipers from Russia’s 24th Special Forces Brigade had received Desert Tech rifles with interchangeable barrels for the same calibers.

Moreover, American rifles from Utah-based manufacturers have been observed in the hands of Russian special forces, an unidentified elite unit, another sniper unit, and a volunteer fighter from Irkutsk.

While the documentary’s snipers claim to engage targets at distances of up to two kilometers, the only rifle in the footage capable of such precision is the American-made Desert Tech. This performance gap makes Western rifles highly sought after by Russian snipers, as they outperform standard-issue weapons from the Russian Defense Ministry. The film also features Russian-made SVD and ASVK Kord rifles, which have an effective range of 800 to 1,000 meters — far less than the three-kilometer range of the U.S.-made Desert Tech rifles. Without access to American and European rifles, ammunition, optics, and weather stations, Russian snipers would face severe disadvantages on the battlefield, with their effective shooting distance reduced by two to three times.

Both the U.S. and the European Union imposed restrictions on firearms exports to Russia in 2014, yet significant loopholes allowed shipments to continue. The initial EU ban permitted deliveries under pre-existing contracts signed before Aug. 1, 2014, enabling some European manufacturers to continue supplying weapons. The sanctions also did not cover indirect shipments through third countries such as Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, which share a customs union and military alliance with Russia through the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

As The Insider has reported, these countries — along with Georgia — dramatically increased their imports of firearms from Europe and the U.S. after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. UN Comtrade data shows that U.S. rifle exports to Georgia surged from 431 units in 2021 to 4,140 in 2022. Kyrgyzstan, which did not purchase any firearms from Italy in 2020 or 2021, imported 882 rifles in 2022 and 4,434 in 2023.

U.S.-made firearms are not only appearing on the battlefield, but also at weapons expos in Moscow. At OrelExpo, Russia’s largest arms exhibition, held most recently in November 2024, visitors could view and purchase American Barret rifles at the booth of the company Varyag. Another exhibitor, Orel, showcased the very same Desert Tech rifles now used by Russian snipers.

The Orel booth, the exhibition venue, and the event’s construction firm all belong to OrelHunting, a group of companies owned by Russian entrepreneur Mikhail Khubutia. His largest foreign business partner remains the Italian arms manufacturer Beretta, which holds a 57% stake in Russkiy Orel (lit. “Russian Eagle”), a company co-owned by Khubutia’s associate Rafik Yetumyan.

Reports on Russian forces using Desert Tech rifles and Hornady ammunition date back to at least 2023, as documented by the German outlet Correctiv and Politico Europe. However, two years later, there has been no known law enforcement investigation into the smuggling operation that brought these weapons to Russia. Meanwhile, new shipments continue to arrive.

In January 2025 alone, 13 posts advertising American-made Hornady ammunition appeared in pro-war Russian online forums. Fighters from the far-right volunteer brigade Espanola have even sarcastically referred to the U.S. company as a “sponsor” of Russia’s war in Ukraine.