A Ukrainian sniper claims to be a world record holder after picking off a Russian soldier from 3.76 kilometers away with a special rifle called ‘Lord of the Horizon’.
The sniper, who serves in the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), reportedly managed to beat the previous record of 3.5 kilometers, set by a Canadian special operations sniper in Iraq in 2017.
Video reportedly shows the Russian target falling seconds after the SBU sniper took the shot.
A line of three stationary Russian soldiers quickly becomes a line of two as the bullet takes out the soldier at the currently unknown location.
The SBU said: ‘SBU snipers are rewriting the rules of global sniping and demonstrating unparalleled capabilities to operate effectively at remarkable ranges.’
Video reportedly shows the Russian target falling seconds after the SBU sniper took the shot
A line of three stationary Russian soldiers quickly becomes a line of two as the bullet takes out the soldier
(File image) Ukrainian snipers are often deployed as a vanguard for planned counter-offensive maneuvers and are tasked with eliminating high-value Russian targets before other forces can enter
‘Lord of the Horizon’ was developed and created by MAYAK, a Ukrainian weapons manufacturer, and measures a massive 6 feet tall, reports the Firearms Blog.
With the right ammunition, the gun can fire bullets at a speed nearly 10,000 feet faster than the speed of sound.
The shot comes after another Ukrainian sniper claims to have carried out the second longest combat killing in history.
The unnamed sniper killed a Russian soldier at a range of 2,710 meters – about 2.7 kilometers – according to the Ukrainian military, which said it published footage of the shot looking through the sniper’s crosshairs.
If confirmed, the Ukrainian sniper would overtake Briton Craig Harrison, who killed two Taliban fighters from a range of 2,475 meters in Helmand province, Afghanistan in 2009.
Ukraine claims one of its snipers took out a Russian soldier at 2,710 meters, which if confirmed would be the second-longest range kill in combat
A Canadian sniper holds the record for the longest sniper kill ever recorded at 11,000 feet, while Briton Craig Harrison holds the official second place
Footage published by Ukrainian forces of their killing shows an image of a man moving among trees before the gunman centers his crosshairs on his chest.
The thermal sight pops up, indicating the gun has been fired, before the figure falls to the ground about three seconds later.
A second figure then comes running towards the first in an apparent attempt to help his wounded comrade, before the sniper fires a second time.
Both figures then fall to the ground.
Ukrainian snipers are often deployed as a vanguard for planned counter-offensive maneuvers and are tasked with eliminating high-value Russian targets before other forces can enter.
Kills made by the squad, which is named after their leader, are recorded electronically using the sights of their guns
The unit’s snipers often have to wait in one position for up to 16 hours a day and must be very well camouflaged.
The commander of the already legendary Ghosts of Bakhmut revealed that his unit’s snipers often have to wait in one position for up to 16 hours a day.
“It’s nothing like American films that romanticize the work of snipers and show it as very glamorous.”
He said most of the unit’s work is based on survival.
‘You learn to count, you do math. You learn to camouflage yourself, you learn about the environment. You can shoot well, but if you can’t survive, it’s of no value.’
‘We work 24 hours a day, we make no distinction between day and night. There are no weekends. You’re completely exhausted, all your juices have been squeezed out of you, and when you come back from a mission, you’re a complete mess.”