IPI Malyuk

The Malyuk emerged from over a decade of Ukrainian experiments with bullpup AK conversions, beginning with the earlier Vepr design. Its name, meaning 'baby' in Ukrainian, is an ironic reference to its compact size compared to the full-length AK-74 it is based on. The rifle became a symbol of Ukrainian domestic defense innovation during the Russo-Ukrainian War, frequently appearing in combat footage from Ukrainian special operations forces defending Kyiv, Kharkiv, and other front-line cities.

The Malyuk uses an air convection cooling system that extends barrel life by improving heat dissipation. Some sources list the weight as 3.8 kg, which likely includes the grenade sight or other accessories; the bare rifle weight is 3.2 kg per Modern Firearms. The Malyuk is essentially a kit that converts existing AK-74 or AKM rifles - the core receiver, barrel, bolt group, and trigger mechanism are retained from the donor rifle, set into the new polymer bullpup stock. This means the rifle inherits both the reliability and the limitations of the original AK platform, including right-side-only ejection that makes left-shoulder firing uncomfortable. An IPI-made suppressor is available as an accessory. The rifle became particularly visible during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, frequently seen in photographs of Ukrainian special operations and territorial defense forces. The 5.56 NATO variant uses modified magazines; the 7.62x39mm variant accepts standard AKM magazines.