The Lebedev pistol (PL), developed by the Russian Kalashnikov concern, has become a service weapon for the Russian Armed Forces. Named weapons were received by Heroes of Russia Mikhail Gudkov and Oleg Vlasov from the hands of the head of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Sergei Shoigu.
The self-loading PL replaced the legendary Makarov pistol (PM). The new weapon appeared among employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation in October 2021. In May 2023, the PL entered service with the Russian Guard.
In August 2023, the Kalashnikov press service reported that employees of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations would also be armed with Lebedev pistols. The leadership of the rescue agency visited the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant (IMZ), where the chief designer of the PL, Dmitry Lebedev, demonstrated the capabilities of the weapon.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation highly appreciated the PL, calling it ergonomic, reliable, and meeting current needs. The department added that they plan to put the Lebedev pistol into service and include it in the state order for 2024-2025.