The Dragunov sniper rifle — Снайперская винтовка Драгунова (SVD) — remains prized for its ruggedness and straightforward handling, The National Interest reported, noting reliability and ease of use as its defining traits. According to the article, Russian arms maker Kalashnikov has ramped up production of the shortened, folding-stock variant, the SVDS (СВДС), increasing output thirteenfold to meet demand.

The boost in manufacturing is driven by heavy use of the SVDS in the zone of the military special operation in Ukraine, where the compact Dragunov variant is said to be especially sought after. Military commentator Piter Suchiu described the SVDS as a shortened, modernized iteration of the original SVD, adopted by elite formations including airborne special forces and naval infantry units.

Suchiu drew a direct line between the Dragunov and other Soviet-era workhorses, arguing the SVD family shares the AK-47’s hallmark virtues: simplicity of operation, maintenance, and field repair. That combination, he observed, makes the semi-automatic design useful not only to trained marksmen but also to irregular fighters who can gain an advantage even with limited training.

A structural difference stands out: the SVDS uses a shorter barrel — 565 mm versus the classic SVD’s 620 mm — yet, the rifle reportedly retains accuracy out to roughly one kilometre. The weapon has also picked up an informal nickname pletka, derived from the distinctive sound its shots produce.

Taken together, the account portrays the SVDS as a pragmatic, battlefield-driven evolution of a decades-old design: trimmed and modernized where needed, produced at scale, and deployed where compact precision and ease of use matter most.