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10 months ago
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A Ukrainian sniper claims to be a world record holder after picking off a Russian soldier from 2.36 miles away with a custom rifle called 'Lord of the Horizon.'
The sniper, who serves in Ukraine's security service (SBU), reportedly managed to beat the previous record of 2.2 miles, made by a Canadian special operations sniper in Iraq in 2017.
Video reportedly shows the Russian target falling several seconds after the SBU sniper took the shot.
A line of three stationary Russian soldiers quickly become a line of two, as the bullet takes the soldier out at the currently unknown location.
The SBU said: 'SBU snipers are rewriting the rules of global sniping, showcasing unparalleled abilities to operate effectively at remarkable distances.'
Video reportedly shows the Russian target falling several seconds after the SBU sniper took the shot
A line of three stationary Russian soldiers quickly become a line of two, as the bullet takes the soldier out
(File image) Ukraine's snipers are often sent in as the vanguard for planned counteroffensive manoeuvres, and are tasked with taking out high-value Russian targets before other military forces can come in
'Lord of the Horizon' was developed and made by MAYAK, a Ukrainian arms manufacturer, and comes in at an enormous 6 ft in length, the Firearms Blog reports.
With the correct ammunition, the rifle can fire bullets in such a way that they stay faster than the speed of sound for nearly 10,000 ft.
The shot comes after another Ukrainian sniper claims to have executed the second-longest combat kill in history.
The unnamed sniper felled a Russian soldier at a distance of 2,710m – around 1.7miles – according to Ukraine's military, which published what it claimed was footage of the shot looking down the sniper's scope.
If confirmed, it would see the Ukrainian sharpshooter overtake Briton Craig Harrison who killed two Taliban fighters at a distance of 2,475m in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in 2009.
Ukraine claimed in 2022 one of its snipers has taken out a Russian solider at 2,710m, which would be the second-longest ranged kill in combat if it is confirmed
A Canadian sniper holds the record for the longest sniper kill on record at 11,614ft - while Briton Craig Harrison holds the official second-place spot
Footage published by the Ukrainian armed forces of their kill shows an image of a man moving among trees before the shooter centres their crosshairs on his chest.
The thermal sight jumps upwards, indicating the rifle has been fired, before the figure drops to the ground around three seconds later.
A second figure then comes running over to the first in an apparent attempt to help his wounded comrade, before the sniper fires a second time.
Both figures then slump to the floor.
Ukraine's snipers are often sent in as the vanguard for planned counteroffensive manoeuvres, and are tasked with taking out high-value Russian targets before other military forces can come in.
Kills made by the squad, which is named after their leader, are recorded electronically using the sights of their rifles
The unit's snipers often have to wait in one position for up to 16 hours a day, and have to be very well camouflaged
The commander of the already-legendary Ghosts of Bakhmut revealed that his unit's snipers often have to wait in a single position for up to 16 hours a day.
'It's nothing like American films that romanticise the work of snipers and show it as very glamorous.'
He said that most of the work the unit does is survival-based.
'You learn how to calculate, you do the maths. You learn how to camouflage yourself, you learn about the environment. You can shoot perfectly well, but if you can't survive, there is no value in that.'
'We work 24 hours a day, we don't differentiate between day or night. There are no weekends. You're totally exhausted, all the juices are squeezed out of you, and when you come back from a mission, you're a complete mess.'
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