Profile
- Type
- Semi-automatic designated marksman rifle
- Origin
- Soviet Union
- Service note
- Cold War design still in service during the Russia-Ukraine War
Infantry Weapons
SVD
The SVD, commonly known as the Dragunov, is a Soviet 7.62x54R semi-automatic designated marksman rifle designed to give infantry squads longer-range precision fire without the weight and slower rate of a bolt-action sniper rifle. It remains relevant in the Russia-Ukraine War because both Russian and Ukrainian forces inherited large stocks, while Russia has continued to field and procure Dragunov-family rifles despite newer replacement programs.
- Built in
- Soviet UnionRussia
Service History
- In service
- 1963-present
- Used by
- Russian Armed Forces, Ukrainian Armed Forces
- Wars
- Russia-Ukraine War
Production History
- Designer
- Yevgeny Dragunov
- Designed
- 1958-1963
- Built in
- Soviet UnionRussia
- Unit cost
- Not publicly standardized
- Produced
- 1963-present
- Number built
- Not publicly standardized
- Variants
- SVD, SVDS, SVDM, SVDK
Specifications
- Cartridge
- 7.62x54R
- Action
- Gas-operated semi-automatic rifle
- Magazine
- 10-round detachable box magazine
- Weight
- About 4.3 kg unloaded with optic for the standard SVD
- Length
- About 1,220 mm
- Barrel length
- 620 mm
- Sight system
- PSO-1 optical sight with backup iron sights
Conflict Usage
- Russia-Ukraine War
- Side: RussiaUkraine
The SVD and modernized Dragunov-family rifles remain visible in the Russia-Ukraine War: Russian snipers were reported with older SVD rifles around the 2022 invasion, Ukrainian forces had legacy SVD/SVDM rifles in Donbas-era sniper units, and Ukraine's intelligence service reported Russia issuing SVD/SVCh sniper rifles to North Korean troops moved toward Ukraine in 2024.
Related Weapon Systems
9K111 FagotMan-portable anti-tank guided missile systemThe 9K111 Fagot, known to NATO as the AT-4 Spigot, is a Soviet man-portable SACLOS wire-guided anti-tank missile system built around the 9P135 tripod launcher and 9M111 missile family. Its compact launcher, vehicle-mount compatibility, and 2 to 2.5 km range kept it relevant for legacy users, including Russian anti-tank teams documented in the Russia-Ukraine War.
9K115 MetisMan-portable anti-tank guided missile systemThe 9K115 Metis is a Soviet/Russian man-portable, wire-guided anti-tank guided missile family developed for company-level infantry anti-armor fire. The original AT-7 Saxhorn system emphasized a light launcher and short-range portability, while the later 9K115-2 Metis-M and Metis-M1 variants use larger 130 mm missiles, tandem HEAT or thermobaric warheads, and ranges up to 2 km. In the Russia-Ukraine War, Russian forces have been documented using the upgraded AT-13 Saxhorn-2 / Metis-M variant against Ukrainian armor.
9M113 KonkursSACLOS wire-guided anti-tank guided missileThe 9M113 Konkurs, NATO reporting name AT-5 Spandrel, is a Soviet wire-guided anti-tank guided missile family built for infantry launchers and vehicle mounts such as BMP-series vehicles and the BRDM-2-based 9P148. Its SACLOS guidance, 135 mm missile body, and 4 km class engagement range kept it useful after the Cold War, including documented employment in the Russia-Ukraine War by Ukrainian-aligned forces and Russian units.
9M133 KornetLaser beam-riding anti-tank guided missile systemThe 9M133 Kornet is a Russian heavy anti-tank guided missile system using laser beam-riding guidance and tandem HEAT or thermobaric warheads. Developed by KBP as a portable and vehicle-integrated ATGM family, it appears in the Russia-Ukraine War as a Russian-origin system documented with pro-Russian forces and also captured by Ukrainian troops.
AK-125.45 mm assault rifleThe AK-12 is a Russian 5.45x39 mm assault rifle developed by Kalashnikov Concern as a modernized service weapon with improved ergonomics, accessory rails, optical-sight compatibility, and an adjustable folding stock. In the Russia-Ukraine War it appears as a Russian frontline small arm, while captured examples became visible in Ukrainian hands during the opening phase of the 2022 invasion.
AK-74M5.45 mm assault rifleThe AK-74M is the modernized Russian production model of the AK-74 family, chambered for 5.45x39 mm ammunition with black polymer furniture and a left-folding stock. In the Russia-Ukraine War it remains a baseline infantry rifle for Russian regular units, even as AK-12 rifles supplement it and older AKM rifles appear among mobilized troops.Sources
SVD capabilitiesPublisher: Kalashnikov Group | Note: Official specification page for standard SVD dimensions, cartridge, magazine capacity, and weight. | Accessed: 2026-06-20SVD-63 Russian 7.62mm Russian Automatic Sniper RiflePublisher: U.S. Army OE Data Integration Network | Note: Supports background and baseline technical identification of the SVD-63 as a 7.62x54R semi-automatic sniper/designated marksman rifle. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Russia chooses 60-year-old SVD rifle instead of the latest SVChPublisher: Militarnyi | Note: Supports SVD development, Izhevsk/Kalashnikov production background, and continuing Russian procurement context. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Sniping In UkrainePublisher: American Rifleman | Note: Supports Russia-Ukraine War conflict-use context by documenting SVD and SVDM rifles in Russian and Ukrainian sniper units around the Donbas fighting and the 2022 invasion. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Po-pikhotnomu: chym Moskva ozbroila perekynuti do kordoniv z Ukrainoiu viiska KNDR?Publisher: Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine | Note: Supports Russia-Ukraine War conflict-use context by directly reporting Russia issuing SVD/SVCh sniper rifles to North Korean troops moved toward Ukraine in October 2024. | Accessed: 2026-06-20File:SVD Dragunov.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the SVD Dragunov photo used as the primary image; the file is published under GFDL and Creative Commons attribution-share alike licenses. | Accessed: 2026-06-20