The DShK 38 is a Soviet heavy machine gun. The weapon may be vehicle mounted or used on a tripod or wheeled carriage as a heavy infantry machine gun. The DShK's name is derived from its original designer, Vasily Degtyaryov, and Georgi Shpagin, who later improved the cartridge feed mechanism. It is sometimes nicknamed Dushka or Dochka. The DShK 38/46 is a modernized version of the DShK 38, and was introduced in 1946. The weapon is commonly referred to simply as the DShKM. These weapons are currently in service with the armies of nearly 80 nations around the world, including Afghanistan, China, Cuba, Egypt, Finland, Iran, Iraq, Israel, North Korea, Vietnam, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine. They have been used in nearly every conflict since World War II, and they are currently in use on both sides of the current Russo-Ukrainian War.