Ukraine has transformed a Soviet anti-aircraft gun into a deadly ground weapon capable of killing dozens of soldiers at a time, according to a report.

• A Ukrainian unit modifies decades-old anti-aircraft guns from the Soviet era.

• The Daily Beast reported that the modified truck-mounted cannon could kill dozens of Russians at once.

• Ukraine is trying to modernize and create new weapons to reduce its dependence on Western imports.

Ukrainian soldiers have transformed a Soviet-era anti-aircraft gun into a fast-moving ground weapon capable of killing dozens of Russian troops at once, the Daily Beast reported.

The artillery battery unit of Ukraine's 241st Brigade had mounted Soviet-era KS-19 anti-aircraft guns on the back of trucks, according to the report, so they could be transported in and out of combat.

The unit spent three months dismantling the weapons and rebuilding them on a mobile platform, the Daily Beast reported.

The resulting weapon was capable of hitting targets spaced up to 328 feet apart and killing dozens of soldiers with a single shot, according to the report.

Evegeny Iitvin, a sergeant with the unit, told the Beast that in just three days, one of the weapons had “already destroyed 1,000” Russian soldiers.

The KS-19 was first introduced in 1947, a few years after the end of World War II, Business Insider's Jake Epstein previously reported.

Although Ukraine's Western allies have supplied it with weapons and ammunition, many of the weapons Ukraine uses against Russia are relics of the Soviet Union.

Russia also uses decades-old equipment in Ukraine.

The 241st Brigade received four KS-19s in March, the Daily Beast reported.

He said the unit also equips the machines with electronic tablets, at a cost of $8,000. The tablets worked with a drone and operator to track and target Russian forces, according to the report.

Iitvin told the outlet that the project also involved the purchase of four trucks. The report said the money came from the soldiers themselves, donors and friends.

Iitvin said the Ukrainian government could not afford to spend such large sums of money on individual units for projects.

Ukraine is increasingly investing in making its own weapons because its Western allies have delayed supplies of some weapons and, according to Ukraine and many experts, have not given enough to properly fend off Russia.

Ukraine is trying to increase its own production of missiles, drones and munitions.

Iitvin told the Beast that “if Biden provided weapons, I wouldn't need those weapons.”

Ukrainian soldiers have had to resort to crowdfunding to obtain drones, night vision goggles, medical supplies and other items they consider essential to the war effort.

Ukraine also worries about donor fatigue among countries that support it, as well as the impact of other factors like next year's U.S. presidential election.

Read the original article on Business Insider