This year, the PPK-20 submachine gun will be delivered to the military in a modernized version. Specialists from the Kalashnikov Concern improved the weapon based on its combat use during fighting in Ukraine. The company’s press office reported this on its website on January 21, 2026. The concern also stated that it had successfully fulfilled last year’s contract for the delivery of this small-arms system to the customer.
Photo: Kalashnikov Concern
The concern has launched production of new PPK-20 submachine guns with a modernized design under a 2026 state contract. Details of the modernization and the scope of changes have not been disclosed, but it was noted that certain tactical, technical, and ergonomic parameters have been improved, and the range of compatible ammunition has been expanded. The weapon has become more technologically advanced. Earlier reports mentioned changes to the bolt design and the recoil mechanism. Overall, the design team refined the product with a view to manufacturability and a number of technical parameters.
The PPK-20 submachine gun was developed under the experimental R&D project Vityaz-MO. Its design is based on the Vityaz-SN submachine gun produced since 2005, incorporating feedback and shortcomings identified during operational use. The weapon has an overall length of 600–660 mm, an unloaded weight of 2.7 kg, and a barrel length of 182 mm.
The PPK-20 fires 9×19 mm Luger cartridges fed from a curved 30-round magazine. The primary round is the 7N21 high-impulse, armor-piercing cartridge. The weapon can also fire most other 9×19 mm rounds of both domestic and foreign manufacture. The Kalashnikov submachine gun combines the reliability and ergonomics of the modern AK-12 in a subcompact form factor. Distinguishing features include a right-folding, length-adjustable stock and an ambidextrous fire selector (Russian Forces Deploy AK-12K Carbine in Combat for First Time in Ukraine).
Alan Lushnikov, President of Kalashnikov Concern JSC and a member of the Russian Union of Machine Builders, stated that the PPK-20 is currently one of the best submachine guns in its class worldwide and will remain available for the next twenty years.
The submachine gun can be fitted with a sound suppressor, and Picatinny rails allow the mounting of additional accessories and sighting devices.
The weapon is named after Viktor Mikhailovich Kalashnikov (1942–2018), the son of the legendary Soviet firearms designer.