I take pride in having designed the "AK-47", but I am saddened by the way terrorists use it," said Mikhail Kalashnikov.
Mikhail Kalashnikov, the creator of the famous AK-47 rifle, was known to have expressed pride in his ingenuity, as well as deep regret over how the weapon has spread to conflict zones and fallen into the hands of terrorists.
In a letter he wrote shortly before his death in 2013, he expressed pride in his creation for having served in the defense of his country, but was deeply troubled by the "losses" the rifle has caused worldwide.
"I keep having the same unsolvable question: if my rifle takes people's lives, does that mean that I, Mikhail Kalashnikov... am responsible for people's deaths?"