When it comes to Germany’s military aid to Ukraine, the focus is often on the large-scale deliveries of partly state-of-the-art air defence systems, artillery and armoured vehicles whilst the equipment provided to the “ordinary soldier” is often completely overlooked.
However, the previous government under Olaf Scholz had already been placing particular emphasis, from the end of 2023 onwards, initially on equipping Ukrainian special forces and later, increasingly, on equipping regular troops as well.
This primarily involved the supply of a wide variety of firearms, such as MG4 and MG5 machine guns, MK 556 assault rifles and, later, HK416 assault rifles, as well as the HLR 338 precision rifle.
By April 2025, the German government had financed and delivered around 20,000 firearms, sourced from both Bundeswehr stocks and via Heckler & Koch and C.G. Haenel as industrial partners.
That month also marked the last time the federal government’s Press and Information Office updated Germany’s official list of military support for Ukraine, meaning that fair and transparent reporting is now only possible to a very limited extent.
Officially, all but a mid-double-digit number of the firearms previously pledged have been delivered to Ukraine. Although a general commitment to supply further firearms was made in May 2025, no details have been officially announced to date.
Research carried out over the past 15 months, which largely involved the analysis of image and video material, now shows that the German government must have continued to secretly supply a considerable number of firearms to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In total, the figure is likely to be at least a low five-figure number, consisting mainly of assault rifles. Estimated value: a low two-digit million figure.
Flopped in the Bundeswehr, highly valued in Ukraine – the MK 556
Since April 2025, GAU has been able to identify eleven Ukrainian users of the MK 556, manufactured by C.G. Haenel, who either only recently put the assault rifle into service or publicly disclosed its use for the first time after the German government classified its military aid once again.
These assault rifles were not distributed within a single branch of the armed forces, but were widely dispersed. These include, amongst others, the 81st Airmobile Brigade (Air Assault Forces), the 425th Assault Regiment (Ground Forces), the 4th Assault Center (Special Operations Forces) and the Belarusian Kastus Kalinoŭski Regiment (HUR MO), which deployed the MK 556 for the first time or presented it to the public in April 2025, June 2025, February 2026 and June 2026 respectively.
| User | Branch | Deployment/Publication |
|---|---|---|
| 81st Airmobile Brigade | Air Assault Forces | April 2025 |
| 33rd Mechanized Brigade | Ground Forces | May 2025 |
| 425th Assault Regiment | Ground Forces | June 2025 |
| 33rd Assault Regiment | Ground Forces | July 2025 |
| 11th Army Aviation Brigade | Ground Forces | August 2025 |
| 3rd Assault Brigade | Ground Forces | October 2025 |
| Presidential Brigade | Ground Forces | November 2025 |
| 148th Artillery Brigade | Air Assault Forces | December 2025 |
| 4th Assault Center | Special Operations Forces | February 2026 |
| Kastus Kalinoŭski Regiment | HUR MO | June 2026 |
| 44th Mechanized Brigade | Ground Forces | July 2026 |
Particularly noteworthy here are, amongst other, the deliveries to the 33rd Assault Regiment, which made the deployment of C.G. Haenel’s assault rifle public for the first time in July 2025.
Interestingly, the regiment’s own rifle battalion first reported on the MK 556 in November 2025 – a full four months after the first delivery to the regiment – noting that the soldiers were keen to familiarise themselves with the MK 556. This suggests that at least the 33rd Assault Regiment received several deliveries within the space of roughly half a year.
Furthermore, the deliveries made to the 11th Army Aviation Brigade are of great interest. These first came to light in a WSJ report on the use of training aircraft for drone hunting, published in August 2025.
In April 2026 and July 2026, the brigade released further video footage proving that this remains common practice and that Ukrainian soldiers are still using the MK 556.
The Wall Street Journal’s report quotes a soldier who has tried out several firearms for drone hunting over the course of his career. According to him, he preferred the MK 556 at the time and after almost a year, it appears that nothing has changed in this regard.
The deliveries to the 2nd Assault Detachment from the 4th Assault Center, which were first made public in February 2026, also stand out. The reason for this is the assault rifle’s unusual configuration.
Not only was a version of the assault rifle with a shorter barrel supplied to the Special Operations Forces, but it was also the first time that a custom manufactured T1Xi optics from STEINER was included, featuring a greater distance from the rail and a special finish which matches the rest of the rifle.
Finally, the Kastus Kalinoŭski Regiment, which first made the use of the MK 556 public in June 2026, is also worth mentioning.
Whilst analysing image and video material from the 5th Center of International Legion (HUR MO), to which the Kastus Kalinoŭski Regiment also belongs, a single image of the so-called “Expeditionaries Team” published in October 2025 stood out, in which an MK 556 can be seen leaning against a wall.
This suggests that at least the Expeditionaries Team, as part of the 5th Center of International Legion, had already received supplies by October 2025, whilst the Kastus Kalinoŭski Regiment received additional supplies in June 2026. However, as there is only a single image, GAU did not list the 5th Center of International Legion as a separate, higher-level entry in the table.
Assuming that, from April 2025 onwards, new users have received roughly the same amount of assault rifles as new users had received on average up to that point, and given the high number of new users since April 2025, it is to be expected that the German government, led by Friedrich Merz, has significantly increased deliveries of the MK 556 assault rifles.
Initially, under the previous government, around 1,600 MK 556s were supplied exclusively to Ukrainian special forces and the Ukrainian military intelligence service (HUR MO).
This was followed by the delivery of a further 4,200 assault rifles, which were distributed among the 82nd Air Assault Brigade, the 95th Air Assault Brigade, the 242nd Training Center, the 58th Motorised Brigade and the 155th Mechanized Brigade. Assuming that no further assault rifles were delivered to previously known users within Ukrainian special forces, this would amount to an average of 840 rifles per user.
With at least eleven additional users since April 2025, this would therefore amount to around 9,240 additional MK 556 assault rifles delivered, although this is, of course, only a very rough estimate purely based on data from previous deliveries and the results of this research. The manufacturer, C.G. Haenel, could not be reached for comment prior to the publication of this article.
Good enough for the Bundeswehr, good enough for the Armed Forces of Ukraine – the HK416
The situation is similar with the HK416 made by Heckler & Koch. The first HK416s – in the A2 and A5 variants – were spotted in Ukraine as early as January 2023. However, it is highly likely that these were supplied to Ukraine, at least in large part if not entirely, by the Netherlands, and definitely not by Germany.
An initial delivery financed by the German government, consisting of a total of 495 newly manufactured HK416 assault rifles, took place between late December 2024 and mid-January 2025.
Further deliveries took place in the months that followed, meaning that, according to official figures, a total of 4,750 of these assault rifles, financed by Germany, had been delivered to recipients in Ukraine by April 2025.
Visually, the assault rifles supplied by the German government differ significantly from those supplied previously, as they are, for the most part, virtually indistinguishable from the G95 assault rifles in the A8 variant, which have only recently been introduced into the Bundeswehr.
It should be noted that the German government is also supplying Ukraine with the HK416 in two different versions: one with the standard HK handguard and one with an M-LOK handguard.
As deliveries of the HK416 did not begin until the turn of the year 2025, I was aware of very few users of the “German variant” in Ukraine up until April 2025. Since then, however, as with the MK 556, numerous new units have been supplied, or previous deliveries have been publicly confirmed.
As with the MK 556, these include the 425th Assault Regiment (June 2025), but also, for example, the 1st Special Operations Task Group of the 8th Special Operations Regiment (July 2025), the Artan Special Unit (November 2025) and the SCORPION Rapid Response and Special Operations Unit of the Military Police (May 2026).
| User | Branch | Deployment/Publication |
|---|---|---|
| 425th Assault Regiment | Ground Forces | June 2025 |
| 8th Special Operations Regiment | Special Operations Forces | July 2025 |
| Tymur Special Unit | HUR MO | August 2025 |
| 73rd Naval Special Operations Center | Special Operations Forces | August 2025 |
| 91st Anti-Tank Battalion | Ground Forces | September 2025 |
| 1st Squadron of International Legion | HUR MO | November 2025 |
| Artan Special Unit | HUR MO | November 2025 |
| Azov Brigade | National Guard | November 2025 |
| Kastus Kalinoŭski Regiment | HUR MO | November 2025 |
| 18th Special Purpose Center | Military Police | April 2026 |
| 3rd Special Operations Regiment | Special Operations Forces | April 2026 |
| SCORPION Rapid Response and Special Operations Unit | Military Police | May 2026 |
In my opinion, the deliveries to the military police – which appear to have taken place relatively recently – are particularly worth mentioning. I was able to identify both image and video footage of the HK416 supplied by Germany at the 18th Special Purpose Center and at the SCORPION Rapid Response and Special Operations Unit, which was newly established and made its first public appearance as early as April 2026.
Deliveries to the Azov Brigade (National Guard) also stand out. It appears that these deliveries are limited exclusively to the various teams within their reconnaissance detachment.
An initial beyond-doubt identification was made in a video by the Recon Group, which was published in November 2025. Further identifications followed only in image and video material from the Pirates Group and the 4th Combat Group, which was published in June 2026 and July 2026. This is a clear indication that multiple deliveries were made to the Azov Brigade over a period of several months.
It should also be noted that, in the course of its research, GAU has found an interesting image from the Nulla Nomen unit – which also operates within the reconnaissance detachment – suggesting that the HK416 was already in use as early as August 2025.
Unfortunately, the picture quality is too poor, and the assault rifle has been specially paint-jobbed, meaning that GAU was unable to achieve a definitive identification, even after seeking a second opinion from Matthew Moss of “The Armourer’s Bench” – an expert in firearms (in Ukraine). GAU and Moss are only sure that the firearm visible in the picture clearly has a Heckler & Koch stock fitted.
Theoretically, it could also be an HK416 not supplied by Germany, or the civilian variant, the MR223/MR556.
Finally, the Tymur Special Unit of Ukraine’s military intelligence service HUR MO, which has more than 20 separate units under its command, should also be highlighted.
For example, various units of the 2nd Special Operations Detachment Kord – such as Defcon Alpha – already shared images and videos of the HK416s supplied by Germany as early as August 2025, whilst no other unit under Tymur’s command confirmed or publicly disclosed such deliveries at the time.
However, it can be assumed that additional deliveries were made in the second quarter of this year, as between May 2026 and June 2026, a total of five units began, practically simultaneously, to publish images and videos of the Heckler & Koch assault rifles on a more or less regular basis.
The Spectre 33 Special Unit was the first in May 2026, whilst the Bat-13 Special Unit, the Bratstvo Battalion, the Triton Special Unit and the international Delta Group followed from June 2026 onwards.
In general, it can be observed that, according to GAU research, supplies were provided almost exclusively to soldiers particularly within Ukraine’s military intelligence service HUR MO, the military police and the Special Operations Forces.
As with the MK 556, however, it is possible that, in future, more and more regular troops will be issued with this assault rifle, thereby replacing other models.
It is not really possible to estimate how many additional HK416s have been delivered to the Armed Forces of Ukraine over the past 15 months, as there is insufficient data available for the period between December 2024 and April 2025.
However, it can be assumed that at least several thousand additional assault rifles were also delivered in this case. On the one hand, there are at least seven users who only made their use of the HK416 public from Q4 2025 onwards, including three who have been using it since April 2026. In my experience, this is a sure sign of additional deliveries, which are usually carried out in batches of at least several hundred units.
On the other hand, the well-known YouTuber and Ukrainian soldier Valgear announced in a video published in December 2025 that, at that time, many units had been issued with this Heckler & Koch assault rifle.
These rifles are not all that uncommon in Ukraine currently. […] Many of the teams, many of the units, just everybody got those.
Valgear via YouTube
An interesting point to note here: according to Valgear, the HK416 was, at least in his unit, handed out as a reward for outstanding performance. This is an indication of the status of this assault rifle.
With great precision to the target – the HLR 338
In addition to the MK 556 assault rifle, the German government is also supplying Ukraine with the HLR 338 precision rifle manufactured by C.G. Haenel. Specifically, these are deliveries of the “Pro” variant, which, unlike the “Basic” variant, features a better suited high-quality stock and is painted entirely in sand colours.
The delivery includes both an M5Xi scope and an MPS red-dot sight. Both are manufactured and distributed by STEINER. Also included are laser filters and sunshades for the M5Xi scope, a silencer and other accessories, such as those for maintenance.
As with all the firearms mentioned previously, the HLR 338 was initially supplied exclusively to Ukrainian special forces. It was only with subsequent deliveries that the user base expanded to include a small number of operators within the Ground Forces, Air Assault Forces and Marine Corps.
However, given that by April 2025 only around 500 precision rifles had been delivered to Ukraine, the user base at that time was very small and only expanded in the months that followed, under circumstances of relative secrecy.
As a result, C.G. Haenel’s precision rifles have since been identified in, amongst other sources, image and video footage from the Tymur Special Unit (August 2025), the 3rd Special Operations Regiment (December 2025), the 118th Territorial Defense Brigade (April 2026) and the Carpathian Border Detachment (July 2026).
| User | Branch | Deployment/Publication |
|---|---|---|
| 8th Special Operations Regiment | Special Operations Forces | August 2025 |
| Tymur Special Unit | HUR MO | August 2025 |
| 3rd Special Operations Regiment | Special Operations Forces | December 2025 |
| 118th Territorial Defense Brigade | Territorial Defense Forces | April 2026 |
| Carpathian Border Detachment | State Border Guard Service | July 2026 |
In the case of the HLR 338, particular mention should be made of the deliveries to the 118th Territorial Defense Brigade and the Carpathian Border Detachment. In both cases, the image material published in April 2026 and July 2026 constitutes the first and only evidence of the precision rifle being used by the State Border Guard Service and the Territorial Defense Forces.
One also gets the impression that the use of the HLR 338 in both cases was not intended to be publicised in a grandiose manner. In the case of the 118th Territorial Defense Brigade, this and other images were published as part of a post about tactical and shooting training that had taken place, without even mentioning the HLR 338 by name.
In the case of the Carpathian Border Detachment, the focus was in fact neither on the HLR 338 nor on some tactical and shooting training carried out, as was the case with the 118th Territorial Defense Brigade. A press release published on the 6th of July 2026 actually concerned the cat pictured in the image, which is being deployed as a morale-boosting border guard.
If one compares the number of users of the HLR 338s delivered before April 2025 with the number of users who only publicly disclosed their use of the precision rifle after April 2025, it can be assumed that, since Germany’s military aid was classified once again, only a few hundred additional units have most likely been delivered.
You hardly get any more firepower than this – the MG4 and MG5
Finally, a few words on the MG4 and MG5, of which, according to official figures, 200 and 450 units respectively were delivered to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Generally speaking, it can be observed that, unlike the MG3, these machine guns continue to be used almost exclusively by Ukrainian special forces, most of whom – though not all – belong to the International Legion. Several images published on the 31st of July 2026, showing a shooting training carried out by the 1st Mechanized Battalion of the 44th Mechanized Brigade, appear — as far as GAU is aware — to mark the first use of an MG5 outside special forces.
There also appears to have been an increase in the number of MG4s and MG5s visible in image and video material.
Unfortunately, due to the potential user base, only a few hundred machine guns had been delivered by April 2025, and if there have been any additional deliveries since then – which is to be expected – these are likely to number in the region of several hundred as well.
In addition, unlike larger battalions, regiments and brigades, teams are more likely to disband, split off, merge or rebrand. Teams also occasionally lose access to their social media accounts and have to create new ones because the soldiers who ran those accounts have fallen in the fight for Ukraine’s freedom. Consequently, it can sometimes be extremely difficult to date such visual material accurately.
It is therefore extremely difficult to make a clear assessment of new deliveries in this case.
Note
The information published in this article, as well as the images and video footage, originate largely, though not exclusively, from publicly available sources provided by a wide variety of Ukrainian units and individual soldiers serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
On Instagram in particular, Ukrainian special forces showcase themselves and their equipment relatively openly on anonymous accounts, whilst generally taking care to protect their identities. They do this, for example, by blurring faces, fingertips, tattoos and other features that could be used to identify them. Affiliation with specific units is also often concealed or merely hinted at.
In view of this, GAU has, in some cases, refrained from publishing or using information, as well as image and video material, from certain sources, as it was not possible to assign various soldiers and their equipment beyond doubt to specific units.
It is therefore likely, on the one hand, that there are other units which, following the classification of Germany’s military aid, were supplied with firearms financed by the German government. Although their equipment was documented during the course of the research, it was not mentioned due to the obstacles referred to above.
On the other hand, it is also possible that some of the units listed here were already receiving supplies at an earlier date and that the relevant deliveries could not be correctly dated during the research.
Certain units, such as the Advanced Company – which is deeply embedded within the 3rd Squadron of International Legion as part of Ukraine’s HUR MO – are also notable for the fact that, whilst they were already seen sporadically with firearms supplied by the German government in or before April 2025, in recent months they have increasingly been pictured almost exclusively with such firearms. Here, too, it can be assumed that further deliveries have taken place.
Finally, I would like to thank Matthew Moss from The Armourer’s Bench, who has repeatedly provided me with advice and tips over the past years, which have been actively incorporated into this and other research related to German firearms.
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