The Kalashnikov assault rifle, chambered for the 5.56x45 mm NATO caliber cartridge, has aroused great interest among foreign customers, the president of the Kalashnikov concern, Alan Lushnikov, told TASS. "The assault rifle [AK-19 chambered for the NATO cartridge] is of great interest to various foreign customers," he said. The AK-19 assault rifle was created on the basis of the AK-12, approved for use by the Russian Armed Forces in 2018.