The AKS-74U (Avtomat Kalashnikova obraztsa 1974 goda Ukorochenniy, or Kalashnikov Assault Rifle model 1974, Shortened) is essentially a shortened AKS rifle designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1973 and adopted by the Soviet Union as a carbine in 1979 under the designation "6P26" which may also alias to this tag. It is also sometimes informally referred to as a "krinkov".