The VDV’s Newest Rifle for the Trenches - The “Type 3” AK-12K
- Heval
- Sep 30
- 11 min read
This article has been adapted from the following linked video by Heval, the original author, and admin of the Rosenritter YouTube channel for the pleasure of those who prefer to read.
The full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the so-called “Special Military Operation” (SVO/СВО), has been a trial by fire for all sides involved. It certainly has burnt the Airborne Forces of Russia, the VDV. In general, airborne and air assault operations are tricky business in the 21st century, especially without outright air supremacy. Immediately upon the lackluster results of the Battle of Hostomel for the Russians, the VDV conducted bloody and heavy-handed urban assaults towards Kyiv. [1, 2] While better trained overall than the regular army, this was not the combat they were intended for. Thus, they proceeded to suffer brutal casualties, especially in their thin-skinned aluminum BMD vehicles and light gearsets. [2]
As the dynamics of combat greatly shifted over the course of the war, the VDV have now been transformed into units capable of strong and close assaults– now in the trenches of the Donbass and Zaporizhzhia. [1] Finally, making some use of the better training and motivation of the men in their corps. As part of this mission retooling, tanks and regular IFVs have been attached to their units [3], plus better protective body armor has been purchased for these soldiers. Including the greatly needed “Type 3” or 2023 model upgrades to the AK-12, the VDV has specifically received a new shortened variant, the AK-12K, in a specially ordered package. The VDV now has a rifle optimized for trench-sweeping. [4]
When needed, here we’ll use Kalashnikov Concern’s naming scheme for the 2018, 2020, and 2023 updates of the AK-12: Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3, respectively. [5] It should be noted that the “Type 3” and AK-12K updates were the most drastic and were done with considerable troop and combat feedback.
First and foremost, the gun is painted. It now features a decent but not necessarily immaculate camo paint job straight from the factory. The camouflage has red-brownish and tan splotches on a green base. Kalashnikov Concern calls it “multicam,” but it really is not similar to that already very well-established pattern. They did show a render similar to Tropic Multicam, but that was not the final result. The paint is not a special Cerakote or anything and has already been reported to wear off, especially on the included suppressor. Depending on the batch, the green base for the polymer parts, including the magazine, is actually a part of the polymer’s mix, however, and not just paint. [6] The camo is otherwise plenty serviceable and just codifies the trend of soldiers doing their own camo paint jobs to varying success.
The Concern is in the midst of developing a more advanced and durable coating than what’s been seen on their rifles so far. So do not be surprised to see that in the near future, after the date of this article [31].
The overall weight of the rifle, without accessories, is 3.4kg, or 7.5 pounds, compared to the long-barreled “Type 3” AK-12 at ~3.5±.1kg, or ~7.7±.2lbs. [8] [26]
In classic fashion, we’ll go from tip to butt. In the package issued to the VDV, a suppressor, weighing just shy of a remarkably heavy 800 grams, or 1.7lbs, is standard with every single AK-12K [4]. This is quite a big deal as OEM and official adopted suppressors are quite rare within Russia’s ranks, and instead, unit funds, personal funds, and donations have been used to buy lots of aftermarket suppressors, such as Hexagon Tactical’s, outside of the official army supply chain. The suppressor’s internal design isn’t known, but it’s safe to say it's of a traditional baffle design, as troops have complained about the back-pressure gas with it. Flow-through suppressors, especially sintered ones, are still quite rare in Russia. The suppressor features a proprietary QD mounting system, shared with the full-sized rifle, that works with the flash hider under it. [25]
The flash hider itself is a short three-prong design. It offers little to no recoil reduction, and instead is mostly to serve as a host for the suppressor and to tame the increased flame of the AK-12K’s short barrel. It’s non-removable, however, just like the muzzle device on the full-sized “Type 3” AK-12. This is presumably a cost-cutting measure and to leave fewer possibilities for an untimed suppressor and baffle strikes. [8] The birdcage on the full-sized variant had a habit of exploding and breaking; [9] however, those reports have stopped after it was discovered that a subcontractor’s lack of QC was at fault. [27] No such reports have happened with the batches of the AK-12K.
The defining feature of the variant is the barrel length of the rifle, which, minus the flash-hider, is 290mm or roughly 11.4 inches. [4] This makes it pretty comparable in role to the old SOCOM favorites, the 10.3-inch Mark 18s. Despite being an intermediate caliber, the barrel length makes sense to accommodate for the suppressor, and the rifle’s sole mission set is to clear the tight dirt trenches of the Russo-Ukrainian war. This compounds, in CQB, with one of the 5.45 AK’s few slight advantages over the typical M4. They have easier full-auto controllability due to the combination of their weight, intermediate caliber, and slower firerate. The reduction in the effective range of the rifle is not worrisome in the current conflict, as thermal-scoped belt-fed machine guns, FPV drones, artillery, and other fire support handle that gap much better than can be expected of any rifle.
To fit onto the shorter barrel, the gas system has also been shortened. While longer than in the AKS-74U, compared to the full-sized AK-12 or even the carbine AK-105, the piston is shorter, the gas tube is shorter, and the gas block is further back. While necessary for the overall concept, this is on top of the suppressor overgassing a platform already known for being overgassed. While the AK system’s famed durability can handle the increased bolt velocity, and the weight can handle the increased recoil impulse, as previously mentioned, the soldiers issued the rifle are starting to complain about the gas and carbon blowback into their faces. At the least, it does mean the rifle will chew through the notorious mud of the trenches easier.
The handguard on the rifle, made of heat-resistant polymer, is the same as the “Type 3” model. The practically free-floated bottom half slots into the top and is held by a spring-tensioned pin in the receiver. Inside is a thin metal heat shield and the disassembled cleaning rod. It features Picatinny on the bottom and Kalashnikov Concern’s proprietary mounting system for side rail sections. The top bit is no longer easily removable as it’s pinned in place to a welded collar around the gas tube. This was done to prevent the migration of the zero of any mounted laser aiming devices. The railed dust cover’s retention pin was also redone and beefed up on the “Type 3” AK-12s to better retain its zero compared to the older models. The rear sight is height adjustable and, as of the “Type 3” model, can be flipped between two diopter holes. One setting is of a small diameter for precision shooting, and the other is larger for faster target acquisition in closer settings or low-light situations.
The most significant ergonomic upgrade, developed throughout Kalashnikov Concern’s internal AK-EVO program, is the ambidextrous selector. [10] It has been reduced back to only three manageable positions, with the inadequate 2 round burst dropped. While somewhat emulating an AR’s selector, on the right side, it still cams a familiar AK ejection port cover for when the rifle is in safe.
Besides the aforementioned changes to the piston and the omission of the burst mechanic, the rifle internals are mostly standard for a 5.45 AK, though the “Type 3” upgrades did notably introduce a mechanism to brace the bolt carrier forward while in safe. This is to prevent the bolt carrier from moving back due to the recoil of a GP-series under-barrel grenade launcher. [24]
The pistol grip is the same as on both the “Type 2” and “Type 3” AK-12s, with the mag release housing and trigger guard integral. Inside is the rest of the cleaning kit. It also features the side-folding stock present since the “Type 2” model and includes the attachable cheek-rest introduced in the “Type 3” upgrades. The cheek-rest was quite rarely included in orders of the full-size “Type 3” for the rest of the army; however, it is delivered for all of the AK-12K VDV rifles.
The order is also a significant milestone for the Russian army, as every rifle comes with a red dot sight by default. The small collimator is the RS-C from the Belarusian company Belomo, and of a decent footprint. However, frankly, it sucks. The manual of the red dot calls for constant re-zeroing, including after just “3-5 shooting sessions,” and to stay vigilant about point of impact shifts, which does not inspire any confidence. [11] It also features a very heavy blue tint, as typical of low-quality eastern red dots, and even some chip reflection. [12] This is why a fair bit of the rifles are seen with other higher quality red dots, or some soldiers just don’t even bother and instead stick to the iron sights, for this reason and other more questionable reasons. The rest of the kit includes 8 6L23.Sb-01 (AK-12 pattern) magazines (2 more than standard orders), a 6Ch64 foregrip, AK-12 style side rails, and a 6Sh124 rifle sling. All in green with painted camo splotches on the magazines. [6]
The development of the rifle occurred under the codenamed “Malek K 5.45” R&D program. [6] Its full name was “Development of a Shortened Kalashnikov Assault Rifle for the 5.45x39mm Cartridge” in accordance with the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. [4] Besides just the “Type 3” upgrades, the AK-12K was also based on the earlier “Type 1” AK-12K from 2017, the AK-EVO program AK-12SPK from around 2020-2021, and the AK-19 CQB model from 2023. [6] The two former examples featured slightly longer barrels, and the gas systems were the same length as the regular AK-12 variants. They were much more akin to the layout of the AK-105 carbine. No shorter barrel variant exists for the “Type 2” AK-12; however, pictures showing almost that do exist. These are all from Ukrainian soldiers who’ve chopped the barrels down themselves, as they are only allowed that opportunity with captured weapons. [13]
Kalashnikov Concern announced the existence of the AK-12K in January 2025 and showed it off at IDEX shortly after. [14] However, a very early 5.45 prototype had been spotted as early as January 2023, featuring the shortened gas system and barrel. It had a near-identical feature set to the “Type 3” prototype, revealed by Kalashnikov.ru the month prior. This iteration was yet to receive a new handguard, the final rear sight design, and the dust cover retention fix. [28] [30] Another prototype iteration of the AK-12K would be seen later next year, in June, at an anniversary event for ODON, the Separate Operational Purpose Division. [15] ODON is under the MVD, Ministry of Internal Affairs, who, as previously mentioned, were at this point the patrons of the AK-12K’s development, though funding was still the Concern’s initiative. This prototype sported all of the “Type 3” production features, plus an experimental M-LOK handguard.
In May 2025, a press conference was held with Russian journalists, and it was announced that the rifle had already begun testing at the front. A handful of “in-the-wild” photos of black unpainted AK-12Ks, featuring the full-size variant’s birdcage muzzle device, had emerged online in the time from February to May. All of these shown-off examples, of what was presumably the testing batch, had been captured by Ukrainian and affiliated irregular forces. Some of these examples, however, may be standard “Type 3” AK-12s shortened by the Ukrainians themselves. Though at least one source seemed to state that their example was captured as is from the Russians. [16][17][29]
Later into May, it was announced that the Concern had shipped the first batch to the VDV in the camo paint job package, with a misleading render of the rifle’s camo. [4] Only days later, the VDV package was spotted, and in July, a particularly successful and close-range assault was reported in Sumy by a group of the 51st Guards Parachute Regiment, while equipped with the rifles. [18][19] In the months following, more photos and videos have trickled in. The VDV, as of the time of this writing, are also just now receiving orders of the new 5.45x39mm RPL-20 light machine gun in a similar paint job; however, these sightings are much more rare for now. [20]
There also exists the AK-12SK, which was announced by the Concern at the same time as the AK-12K. [14] It features a slimmer stock that is shared with the AM-17 and PPK-20. Its gas system is the length of the AKS-74U. Thus, the gas block goes under the handguard, and the front iron sight is now a Picatinny attachment. It would a little bit later receive the M-LOK handguard, seen on the 2024 prototype of the AK-12K. [21] This rifle, however, has no known adoption or orders, and Kalashnikov Concern is trying to advertise it and its 7.62x39mm brothers, the AK-15K and AK-15SK, to the export market. Their 5.45x39mm lightweight polymer lower receiver AM-17 instead took the spot for finally replacing the out-of-production AKS-74U for the role of a back-line/vehicle-crew PDW for the Russian army. [22] Though the FSB has shown a little bit of interest in the AK-12SK.
The reception for the rifle amongst the soldiers who use it has been generally positive but tempered. Commander of the 104th Guards Airborne Assault Regiment, Guard Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Serdyukov, stated the following: [23]
“We’ve been testing the new assault rifle for only a month so far, but it’s already clear that this is a big step forward in arming assault troops and reconnaissance units. It is more compact and convenient than the standard AK-12, has better accuracy, [and] is optimal for close and medium-range combat… The suppressor is also more convenient than its predecessors. The ambidextrous fire selector makes the rifle comfortable to use for both right and left-handed shooters, and the presence of a cheek rest on the stock improves aiming.
Among the advantages, I would also note reduced recoil during firing and the camouflaged coating. I believe the time of blued weapons has passed.
At the same time, the paint job is not yet optimal, as it already wears off during use. Clear drawbacks also include the shooter being smoked out by powder gases, the fouling of the rifle’s parts when using the suppressor, barrel overheating during intensive fire, and a more troublesome disassembly.
Nevertheless, the rifle is new, it definitely has a future, and its further improvement will come precisely through combat testing and field use.”
This is probably the best summary for the rifle. That it is indeed a step forward as Russia learns that necessity is the mother of all inventions and has considerably gotten its act together in the quagmire of the Russo-Ukrainian war. Underestimation is a dangerous game to play, and the West must realize the upcoming dynamics of modern war. It can be said that this is something the NGSW program is blind to. Hopefully, other European countries realize the folly of it as the UK conducts its Project Grayburn, Italy looks to adopt the Beretta NARP, and Sweden and Finland look at the SAKO M23 in 5.56 and 7.62 NATO.
Check out the Rosenritter Twitter page for a thread of dozens of photos of the rifle, including ones not included in this article nor the original video: https://x.com/rosenritter1958/status/1971621529327944144
[27] ak-info admin, Pavel Ptitsyn, in his public chat
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