Profile
- Type
- 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun
- Origin
- Russia
- Service note
- Entered Russian service in the early 2000s; documented in the Russia-Ukraine War.
Infantry Weapons
PKP Pecheneg
The PKP Pecheneg is a Russian 7.62x54mmR belt-fed machine gun derived from the PKM but built around a heavier forced-air-cooled barrel and forward bipod for sustained squad fire. It remains a Russian infantry support weapon and has also appeared in Ukraine, including separatist use reported during the Donbas phase of the war and later Ukrainian use of captured examples.
- Built by
- TsNIITochMashDegtyaryov Plant
- Built in
- Russia
Service History
- In service
- 2001-present
- Used by
- Russian Armed Forces, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Russian-backed separatist forces
- Wars
- Russia-Ukraine War
Production History
- Designer
- TsNIITochMash
- Designed
- 1990s
- Built by
- TsNIITochMashDegtyaryov Plant
- Built in
- Russia
- Produced
- Early 2000s-present
- Variants
- PKP Pecheneg, PKP Pecheneg-N, Pecheneg-SP
Specifications
- Caliber
- 7.62x54mmR
- Feed
- Belt-fed, commonly 100- or 200-round belts
- Weight
- About 8.7 kg on bipod
- Length
- 1,155-1,200 mm depending on source and configuration
- Barrel length
- 658 mm
- Rate of fire
- Approximately 600-800 rounds per minute
- Operating system
- Gas-operated, full-automatic fire only
- Cooling
- Heavy non-quick-change barrel with jacket-assisted forced-air cooling
Conflict Usage
- Russia-Ukraine War
- Side: RussiaUkraine
The Russian-origin PKP Pecheneg appears in the Russia-Ukraine War on both sides: reporting on the Donbas conflict listed it among Russian light machine guns used by separatist forces, and Getty/Anadolu documented a Ukrainian soldier using one during training near Chasiv Yar in August 2023.
Related Weapon Systems
PKM/PK7.62 mm general-purpose machine gunThe PK and lighter PKM are Soviet-designed, belt-fed 7.62x54R general-purpose machine guns used from bipods, tripods, vehicles, and improvised mounts. Their low weight for the class, non-disintegrating belt feed, quick-change barrel concept, and wide Warsaw Pact distribution make the family a common infantry fire-support weapon in the Russia-Ukraine War, where Ukrainian units continue to operate PKM-pattern guns alongside newer and foreign-supplied machine guns.
RPK/RPK-74Squad automatic weapon / light machine gunThe RPK and RPK-74 are Kalashnikov-pattern squad automatic weapons that extend the AK family with a longer, heavier barrel, bipod, and higher-capacity magazines for sustained fire by infantry sections. The 7.62 x 39 mm RPK paralleled the AKM, while the 5.45 x 39 mm RPK-74 followed the AK-74; both remain relevant in the Russia-Ukraine War because legacy Soviet and Russian stocks continue to appear in front-line small-arms holdings.
AK-125.45 mm assault rifleThe AK-12 is a Russian 5.45x39 mm assault rifle developed by Kalashnikov Concern as a modernized service weapon with improved ergonomics, accessory rails, optical-sight compatibility, and an adjustable folding stock. In the Russia-Ukraine War it appears as a Russian frontline small arm, while captured examples became visible in Ukrainian hands during the opening phase of the 2022 invasion.
AK-74M5.45 mm assault rifleThe AK-74M is the modernized Russian production model of the AK-74 family, chambered for 5.45x39 mm ammunition with black polymer furniture and a left-folding stock. In the Russia-Ukraine War it remains a baseline infantry rifle for Russian regular units, even as AK-12 rifles supplement it and older AKM rifles appear among mobilized troops.
AKM7.62x39mm assault rifleThe AKM is the stamped-receiver modernization of the Soviet Kalashnikov assault rifle, chambered for 7.62x39mm and built around a long-stroke gas piston and rotating bolt. Its lower production burden, broad Warsaw Pact and licensed manufacture, and large legacy stocks keep it visible in the Russia-Ukraine War, where Ukrainian personnel have trained with AKM rifles and CAR documented AKM examples recovered from Russian-backed formations in eastern Ukraine.
AKMSFolding-stock 7.62x39mm assault rifleThe AKMS is the under-folding-stock variant of the Soviet AKM assault rifle, retaining the AKM's stamped receiver, gas-operated selective-fire action, and 7.62x39mm chambering while giving airborne, vehicle-mounted, and compact-carry users a shorter folded profile. In the Russia-Ukraine War, ARES documented a specific AKMS seized by Ukrainian police from an alleged Russian saboteur, illustrating how older Kalashnikov-pattern rifles still appear alongside newer small arms.Sources
PechenegPublisher: Modern Firearms | Note: Supports system background, PKM-derived design, caliber, weight, barrel length, feed, rate of fire, and cooling details. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Pecheneg Pecheneg-N 6P41Publisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports Russian origin, TsNIITochMash design/manufacturing context, role, variants, and technical specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-20These Are The Weapons That Russia Is Pouring Into Eastern UkrainePublisher: Business Insider | Note: Reports, citing Armament Research Services work, that Russian PKP Pecheneg light machine guns were among light machine guns used by separatist forces in eastern Ukraine. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Military training of Ukrainian Army in Donetsk OblastPublisher: Getty Images / Anadolu | Note: Documents a Ukrainian soldier using a PKP Pecheneg machine gun near Chasiv Yar during the Russia-Ukraine War in August 2023; used only as a conflict-use source, not as site imagery. | Accessed: 2026-06-20File:PKP Pecheneg - 51AirborneRegiment01.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing source; Commons lists Vitaly V. Kuzmin as author and Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International licensing with VRT permission. | Accessed: 2026-06-20