How the World War I Maxim machine gun became a weapon of choice in Ukraine

By Nicholas Slayton | Published Mar 10, 2023 12:08 PM EST

It turns out, Ukrainian forces really like the old-school Maxim machine gun. Or at least the Imperial Russian and later Soviet version of it, the PM1910.

Although the Maxim machine gun was originally created way back in the 1880s, today’s war in Ukraine has surfaced a sometimes bizarre mix of weapons and tactics. There are modern drones and troops just as likely to carry tablets as rifles. Mid-century Cold War tanks and armored personnel carriers are taking the field alongside modern rocket systems. Satellite imagery is helping troops endure old-school trench warfare. And Ukrainian fighters have been busting out machine guns that are more than 100 years old.

Take for instance this recent video of a fighter using an old Maxim, fitted with decidedly modern add-ons such as optics and a suppressor.

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