On March 13, 2021, the Telegram channel of Russian military journalist Alexander Sladkov published photos of several 5.45-mm Kalashnikov AK-12 assault rifles with detected defects - a crack in the front part of the forearm, chrome paint on the bolt frame rod, the absence of a pencil case and other details.
AK-12 Kalashnikov assault rifle (c) Ramil Sitdikov / RIA Novosti
These photos, apparently, were taken in one military unit and do not allow us to judge the reasons for the appearance of defects. At the same time, the practice of recent years shows that such cases are most often associated not so much with the quality of manufactured products, but with the violation of the instructions for their operation and storage. In general, we can note a decrease in the level of discipline of conscripts today in comparison with that of military personnel of the USSR period.
In this context, for example, the history of the service of the Project 956 destroyer squadrons is indicative. In Soviet times, they were actively used in the performance of combat missions of the Navy, participated in a number of major naval exercises, made international visits to countries in Latin America, North Africa and Southeast Asia. However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, most of the ships quickly failed - of the 17 ships built in the fleet by the end of the 2010s, there were only three. One of the main problems was the lack of specialists and the inability of military personnel to qualitatively discuss complex boiler-turbine installations. At the same time, four ships of the same project, which were transferred to China, serve properly and do not face similar problems.
Project 956E Fuzhou Destroyer of the PLA Navy (c) et97.com
No less questions about compliance with the requirements of operational documentation arise in the case of automotive and armored vehicles supplied to the troops. Below are the photos showing the condition of the machines arriving at the repair plants.
Multi-purpose armored tractor MT-LB at the plant of JSC "Remdiesel" (c) bmpd
The BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle is undergoing major repairs at JSC Kurganmashzavod (c) bmpd
Truck on JSC "Remdiesel" (c) bmpd
It can be assumed that the submachine guns suffered the same fate as the above-mentioned military equipment, namely, violation of the rules of operation. According to bmpd, some of the identified defects did not require elimination, while the rest were corrected on the spot by the supplier's forces and means.
