9th Company

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Movie poster for 9th Company (2005) (Russia)

Russian language poster for 9th Company aka 9 POTA (2005) (Russia). Note: Though IMDB lists the Russian name as "9 POTA" the cyrillic in the poster reads 9 "Roh-ta" with the "r" rolled on the tip of the tongue like in Spanish. Thus the 'phonetic' English wording used for the International Title is actually incorrect.

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9th Company (9 POTA) is a 2005 Russian language film about a group of Soviet Recruits from Basic Training to combat in the mountains of Afghanistan, during the Afghan-Russo War (1979-1989). The story deals with the idealistic young Paratroopers, assigned to the 9th Company, who are fighting a desperate battle against the Mujahideen fighters in the final days of the doomed conflict. It is (loosely) based on the Battle for Hill 3234.

The following firearms are used in the film 9th Company:

Rifles

AK-74

The AK-74, the replacement for the iconic AK-47, is the main weapon of both Soviet Paratroopers and the Muhjadeen fighters.

AK-74 - 5.45x39mm

File:Cap308a.jpg

The newly-arrived Recruits, armed with AK-74 rifles, ride to Hill 3234.

Lyosha looks through the NSPU telescopic night sight fitted onto his AK-74.

Akhmet (Marat Gudiev), a local Muhjadeen leader, carries an AK-74.

Giaconda Petrovsky (Soslan Fidarov), carrying an AK-74 instead of the SVD Dragunov, is led through an Afghan village by a local in his search for matches.

File:9thCo Korgaman AK-74.jpg

Captain "Korgaman" Bystrov (Aleksey Kravchenko), the commander of the 9th Company, tenses his finger on the trigger of his AK-74.

File:Cap372a.jpg

Soviet Vehicle Crewmen fire their AK-74 rifles when the convoy is ambushed.

File:Cap274a.jpg

Lyutyy (Artur Smolyaninov) moves through an Afghan Village, armed with an AK-74.

Stas (Artyom Mikhalkov) searches the village.

Stas aims his AK-74 at nearby sudden movement.

File:9thCo Mujahideen AK-74.jpg

A young Muhjadeen with his AK-74.

Kurbashi (Amadu Mamadakov) and Warrant Officer Khokol Pogrebnyak (Fyodor Bondarchuk) fire their AK-74 during the Muhjadeen attack.

Lyutyy wildly fires his AK-74 during the last stand.

ASK-74

Soviet Paratroopers use the AKS-74, differentiated from the AK-74 by its folding stack (or lack of buttstock), in both training and combat in Afghanistan. The Muhjadeen fighters also use them. Their heavier-then-expected use amongst the 9th Company in both training and combat is undoubtedly due to their lightweight and the ability to fold the buttstock, making them ideal for paratroopers.

AKS-74 - 5.45x39mm

Vorobey (Aleksey Chadov) crawls under barbed wire during a training exercise, holding an AKS-74.

Drill Sergeant Dygalo (Mikhail Porechenkov) holds an AKS-74 fitted with a bayonet.

Stas (Artyom Mikhalkov) uses his AKS-74 during bayonet practice.

A Soviet recruit fires his AKS-74 on the rifle range.

Giaconda Petrovsky (Soslan Fidarov) trades his AKS-74 for an SVD Dragunov.

A Soviet Paratrooper holds an AKS-74. Note the magazines taped together "jungle-style."

Afanasiy (Dmitriy Mukhamadeev) holds his AKS-74.

A Muhjadeen fighter fires his AKS-74.

Petrovsky exits a bunker, his AKS slung around his back.

A Soviet Paratrooper armed with an AKS-74 fires at the Muhjadeen from a bunker.

Dragunov SVD

An SVD Dragunov is issued to Giaconda Petrovsky (Soslan Fidarov), whom is an excellent marksman.

SVD Dragunov sniper rifle - 7.6x54mm R

Giaconda Petrovsky (Soslan Fidarov chambers a round into the SVD Dragunov.

Petrovsky fires.

Petrovsky with his Dragunov. Note the soldier next to him (Lyosha) using an AK-74 fitted with an NSPU telescopic night sight.

Worm's-Eye view of Petrovsky with the Dragunov.

Petrovsky cradles his Dragunov as the 9th Company is confronted with the few survivors of a Muhjadeen attack.

Petrovsky takes down a Muhjadeen with his Dragunov.

Machine Guns

PKM Machine Gun

Several 9th Company Paratroopers use the PKM Machine Gun: Chugainov (Ivan Kokorin) is given Samylin's old gun, which suffered a bend in the barrel due to a hand grenade explosion. He can be seen in one scene trying to sight it to fire at a rock 3m away. One of the paratroopers grabs the barrel of his PKM to bash a Mujahideen and sustains 3rd degree burns in the process.

PKM with classic (most seen) version of the flash hider - 7.62x54mm R

Chugainov (Ivan Kokorin) is issued the PKM Machine Gun.

Chugainov attempts to sight in the PKM. Note the bent barrel.

Chugainov fires the PKM.

A Muhjadeen fires his PKM from the hip.

Chugainov loads a belt of 7.62x54mm into the chamber of his PKM.

Chugainov carries his PKM, holding it by the bipod, as he and the 9th Company search an Afghan village.

File:9thCo Mujahideen PKM 3.jpg

A Muhjadeen fires his PKM.

File:9thCo Chugainov PKM 5.jpg

Chugainov picks up his PKM.

A 9th Company Paratrooper fires his PKM.

Chugainov fires his PKM.

The PKM continues to fire even after Chugainov is knocked down by enemy fire.

Lyutyy (Artur Smolyaninov) leads a charge with the PKM.

RPK-74 Light Machine Gun

Soviet Paratroopers and their Afghan allies can be occasionally seen using the RPK-74 Light Machine Gun.

RPK-74 light machine gun with 45-round box magazine - 5.45x39mm

A Soviet recruit carries an RPK-74 on a field march.

An RPK sits mounted on a barrel at a friendly Afghan checkpoint.

A Paratrooper operating a minesweeper carries an RPK slung around his back.

The soldier on the far left has an RPK-74 deployed on a rock.

DShK Heavy Machine Gun

The DShK Heavy Machine Gun is seen mounted on the turret of T-72 tanks. As this is a Russian-produced film, the DsHk's in the film are authentic, and not the M2 mock-ups commonly seen in American productions.

A Russian DShKM mounted on Tripod - 12.7x108mm

KPVT Heavy Machine Gun

The KPVT Heavy Machine Gun is mounted on BTR-60 APC's used by the Soviet Army in the film.

KPVT heavy machine gun - 14.5x114mm

NSV Heavy Machine Gun

The NSV Heavy Machine Gun is used as a mounted heavy machine gun by Soviet Paratroopers on Hill 3234.

Tripod-mounted NSV heavy machine gun with ammo box and belt - 12.7x107mm

The tripod-mounted NSV Heavy Machine Gun is clearly visible behind the head of this soldier as it opens up on Mujahideen fighters during the convoy ambush.

File:Cap344a.jpg

The gunner fires the NSV heavy machine gun (first from the right).

Yakushev-Borzov Yak-B Machine Gun

The Yakushev-Borzov Yak-B is mounted on the Soviet Mi-25 Gunships which come to the rescue of 9th Company during the final assault.

A Yak-B Gatling Gun - 12.7mm

Mi-25 Gunships rattle away with Yak-B Machine Guns.

ZU-23

The ZU-23 Anti-Aircraft Gun is seen at Bagram Airbase and mounted at Anava base.

File:ZU23.jpg

ZU-23-2 - 23mm

Launchers

GP-25 Grenade Launcher

The AK-74 mounted GP-25 grenade launcher is used by Warrant Officer Khokol Pogrebnyak (Fyodor Bondarchuk) and Afanasiy (Dmitriy Mukhamadeev). This Grenade Launcher was first introduced in the 1980s and was referred to as the BG15. A later updated version would be the GP-30.

GP-25 grenade launcher - 40mm

File:9thPlatoonAmbushed.jpg

Warrant Officer Khokol Pogrebnyak fires his AK-74 with GP-25 a mounted on the barrel.

Pogrebnyak with his AK-74 and GP-25.

RPG-7

The RPG-7, mounted with a PGO-7 scope, is used by the Mujahideen alongside RPG-18s to attack the 9th Company. They are also carried by Soviet Paratroopers. A glaring error is that in several shots it is apparent that there is no loaded rocket when the RPG is fired.

RPG-7 with PG-7VM rocket and PGO-7 scope - 40mm

RPG-18

The disposable, single-shot RPG-18 launcher is used by Mujahideen to attack the Soviets. Soviet Paratroopers also carry them.]]

RPG-18 - 64mm

A Mudjahideen fighter fires his RPG-18 at the Soviets

Grenades

F-1 Hand Grenade

The main grenade carried by the Soviet Paratroopers is the World War Two-era F-1 Hand Grenade, even though the RGD-5 was standard issue from the 1960's onward.

F-1 High-Explosive Fragmentation Hand Grenade

RGD-5 Hand Grenade

Giaconda Petrovsky (Soslan Fidarov) throws an RGD-5 Hand Grenade into a Mujahideen tunnel complex in the aftermath of the Convoy Ambush.

RGD-5 High-Explosive Fragmentation Hand Grenade

Fake Antitank Grenade

A dummy Antitank Grenade is used by Vorobey (Aleksey Chadov) in an exercise during training.