Ukraine’s Special Forces are claiming the world’s longest sniper kill, with a Ukrainian soldier taking out a Russian combatant from 2.36 miles away. The shot was taken using the Ukraine-made Volodar Obriyu rifle, according to Interfax-Ukraine. If confirmed, this latest shot would be roughly 0.2 miles further than the previously claimed record, which was taken by an unnamed Canadian soldier in Iraq in 2017.
However, it is not possible to verify the kill from the shared footage, as it shows a grainy outdoor scene with two figures glimpsed through a highlighted circle. Three shots then fire, with the two figures dropping down after the second shot and one appearing to crawl away.
The unit did not offer any further information about the date or location of the shot. There is no universally verified list of longest sniper kills, though there are several generally accepted contenders.
Ukrainian snipers have gained an almost mythical status since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2014. One unit has taken on the nickname “The Ghosts of Bakhmut,” and its commander claims responsibility for 113 of their 558 claimed kills all in nine months alone. However, Business Insider could not independently verify these figures.
“It’s grueling work,” said “Ghost.” A sniper can wait up to 16 hours in one spot waiting for a target, with the crucial shot itself being only a small fraction of the skills needed. He said that while their work is often mythologized by the general public, it’s nothing like American films that romanticize the work of snipers and show it as very glamorous.”