VSS.

This is coolbert:

Well, I am right again. In my last blog entry, I had a photo of a Russian VDV [paratrooper] soldier carrying a weapon I was not familiar with. I thought it might be a silenced sniper rifle. And it is.

 The VSS sniper rifle.

This rifle is of 9 X 39 mm caliber. So it is a pistol caliber with a cartridge of rifle size. And is supposedly issued to "special purpose" units. Spetsnaz? VDV also?

From the wiki these interesting features of the VSS are made apparent:

"[can be] stripped down for transport in a specially fitted briefcase."

"It uses a heavy subsonic 9X39mm SP-5 cartridge. Subsonic ammunition is used to avoid a sonic boom. The bullet is very effective at penetrating body armor."

coolbert.