Russians Fume over 19th-Century Machine Guns, WW1 Rifles in Ukraine

The nearly two years of war across Ukraine have come at a high human cost, but have also claimed huge amounts of weaponry, including small arms.

Both sides have made use of older weapons, but age does not always mean a drop in their effectiveness.

"Certain weapons can be used for a very long time since they fulfil a function that remains unchanged," said Samuel Bendett, of the U.S. think tank, the Center for Naval Analyses.

Weapons put together many decades ago are "still relevant," because the underlying principles and tactics of warfare have not changed, he told Newsweek.

"An AK-47 is almost 70 years old at this point, and has changed little," Bendett added. "Simple submachine or machine guns have remain unchanged as well, like the M2 Browning still in use." It is also why the T-55 main battle tank, developed just after World War II, is still used in action, he said.

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