The Ukrainian military has taken delivery of tactical kayaks to support combat operations on rivers, streams, lakes, and other bodies of water.
Videos and photos shared on social media show a two-seater Poloz-M16 combat kayak being tested by Ukrainian troops before deployment to the front line.
According to reports, operators can use oars to propel the vehicle or utilize its “almost silent” electric motor to support covert operations.
It can also be steered remotely in case soldiers are holding heavy weapons and unable to maneuver the kayak manually.
On the nose of the vehicle is a UAG-40 40-millimeter automatic grenade launcher that can hit targets more than two kilometers (1.2 miles) away.
The weapon is a “great tool” for river-born ambushes of invading Russian forces.
The Poloz-M16 has a carrying capacity of 480 kilograms (1,058 pounds) and is made of a special material that can withstand frost or heat.
Tests of the "Poloz-M16" combat kayak.
-The installed 40-mm automatic grenade launcher can operate at a distance of more than 2 kilometers.
-Carrying capacity 480 kilograms.
-The engine is almost silent, and the kayak itself is easy to hideIt will be an ideal tool for sabotage pic.twitter.com/rETmjYlk2j
— Ukraine News 🇺🇦 (@Ukrainene) August 4, 2023
Increasing Use of Unconventional, Makeshift Weapons
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Ukraine was heavily outgunned and asking for modern weapons from international allies.
With help slow to arrive, Ukrainian troops learned to utilize unconventional and makeshift equipment to improve their lethality.
In September, young Ukrainians were making drones for reconnaissance and attack in a house basement near the Donbas frontline.
They pieced together electronic components with the help of laptops and several manuals in what they described as “new generation” guerrilla warfare.
Additionally, Ukrainian forces were believed to have repurposed weapons to address Moscow’s increasing use of combat drones.
A video showing six AK-74 assault rifles bundled together and firing at enemy unmanned aerial vehicles surfaced on social media.
