The U.S. Army announced its first active-duty female sniper in December, a welcome step forward for the world’s most powerful military.
But in some parts of the world, women have long been crucial members of deadly sniper cells, committing dozens and in some cases even hundreds of murders.
The Soviets trained about 2,000 women as marksmen in the fight against the Nazis, including one known as “Lady Death,” who came from Kiev and was said to have taken out more than 300 enemy soldiers.
This rich heritage is one possible reason why Ukraine leads the way when it counts sex balance in the ranks of snipers, with women from across the country taking up arms to target Putin’s forces.
While the primary focus of snipers is eliminating the enemy, many have also faced sexism within their own ranks – despite often surpassing their male counterparts in skills.
From the Kurds’ fight against Islamic State in Syria to Kiev’s fight against Russian invaders, MailOnline looks at the incredible stories of some of the most daring and feared female snipers from around the world.
Sergeant Maciel Gray has become the first active-duty female sniper in the U.S. Army
Maciel Hay – the US Army’s first active-duty sniper
Sergeant Maciel Hay grew up shooting on her family’s farm and was nicknamed “sniper” as a child because of her impressive talent at spotting targets.
She was spurred on by the doubts of a close friend who told her she would “never make it in the military or as a sniper.”
“Needless to say, that person is no longer part of my life. But now that I look back on it, I really appreciate the motivation,” Sergeant Hay said.
She decided to become a marksman while attending Sierra College, near her hometown of Rocklin.
She started with basic training, but her skills as a marksman caught the attention of the army leadership.
To qualify as an expert – as Sergeant Hay had – snipers must hit more than 36 out of 40 targets with their M4 assault rifle.
Sergeant Hay is the first female sniper ever on active duty
Hay grew up shooting on her family’s farm before joining the Army during college
Sergeant Hay said, “Even though I initially shot only as a sniper and later in basic training eventually as an expert, my drill sergeant encouraged me to pursue the goal of sniper school.”
The Sniper School has a rigorous selection process – and candidates are usually experienced soldiers who have demonstrated exceptional marksmanship.
Sgt. Not content with making history just yet, Hay has now set her sights on attending jumpmaster school to become an elite skydiver.
Emerald Evgenia – also called ‘Joan of Arc’ of Ukraine
Called “a punisher” by her Russian enemies, the Ukrainians mythologize Emerald Evgenia as a deadly killer who fends off the invaders – their answer to “Joan of Arc.”
Emerald knows that the Russians are terrified of her and that her reputation precedes her.
Despite facing sexism from fellow troops, Evgeniya said it doesn’t bother her and she is focused on the task at hand.
“War knows no gender,” she told the BBC.
Emerald Evgenia said that she believes women are better shooters than men. ‘If a man hesitates to take a shot or not, a woman never will’
She added that she believes women are better shooters than men.
“If a man hesitates to take a shot or not, a woman never will.” Maybe that’s why it’s women who give birth, and not men.’
‘In a war it doesn’t matter whether you are a man or a woman. If a rocket hits a house, it doesn’t matter whether there are women, men or children: everyone dies.
“And on the front lines it’s the same: if you can be effective and you’re a woman, why wouldn’t you defend your country and your people?”
Emerald previously made headlines after marrying a fellow soldier she met on the battlefield at the start of the war. The couple is now believed to have split.
Emerald has two daughters, a 12-year-old and a baby. After taking a break from fighting while pregnant, she vowed to return to continue fighting for her country and her daughters’ future.
Emerald previously made headlines after marrying a fellow soldier she met on the battlefield at the start of the war
“It’s the reason I’m going to war,” she said. “Ukrainian women are very strong and we all love our country.”
According to figures obtained by the BBC in August, around a hundred Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the line of duty.
As Vladimir Putin’s bloody war against the country approaches its two-year anniversary, more than 50,000 Ukrainian women are now enrolled in the military.
Kurdish sniper who cheated death while hunting ISIS
An unidentified Kurdish sniper shot to fame after incredible footage was captured of the moment she managed to cheat death when an ISIS bullet missed her head by inches.
Hemze Hamza shared on Twitter a video of a fighter from the Kurdish Women’s Protection Unit (YPJ) involved in a gun battle in the city of Raqqa, Syria in 2017.
The sniper appears to be on the balcony of a building, peering over the building as she takes aim and fires at a target off-camera.
The brave sniper was reportedly targeting an ISIS terrorist when a bullet raced towards her.
A brave Kurdish sniper reportedly targeted an ISIS terrorist when a bullet raced towards her
In the footage, she reportedly says: “I killed Daesh” after shooting her before almost being shot herself.
A bullet pierces the wall inches from her head, and she turns around hesitantly as she realizes what just happened.
The lucky shooter breathes a sigh of relief and even begins to laugh at her brush with death.
She jokes with her comrades when it dawns on her that she herself could have been the victim of another sniper, before telling the cameraman to stop filming.
Joanna Palani – Danish student who left university to fight ISIS
Joanna Palani lived a “normal, comfortable” life with her family in Denmark before joining the handful of foreign women who went to fight ISIS.
She dropped out of college to join the fight against jihadists in Syria and joined the Peshmerga – the same ancient force her ancestors fought for before joining the all-female YPG.
Joanna’s battalion claims she killed a hundred ISIS fanatics in morale-boosting propaganda.
Joanna’s battalion claims she killed a hundred ISIS fanatics in morale-boosting propaganda
Joanna Palani lived a ‘normal, comfortable’ life with her family in Denmark before joining the handful of foreign women who went to fight ISIS
She spent nine days alone on the front lines, with her Russian sniper rifle trained on her targets. “ISIS fighters are very easy to kill,” she boasted to Vice in 2016.
She told MailOnline in 2017: ‘I don’t want ISIS to threaten European countries or people in the same way as in Kurdistan.’
The brave sniper came within inches of death when an ISIS fighter sighted her during her latest tour of Syria, narrowly missing her and hitting a friend instead.
Joanna said her idol as a child was Lyudmila Pavlichenko, the female Russian Red Army sniper dubbed “Lady Death,” who is widely recognized as one of the deadliest snipers in history.