Ukrainian special forces claim that a Ukrainian soldier has taken the longest sniper shot in the world, firing from 2.36 miles away from a Russian target. According to Interfax-Ukraine, the shot was taken with a Ukrainian Volodar Obriiu rifle, which means “Master of the Horizon.” The unit did not provide any further information about the date or location of the kill.
If confirmed, this latest record-breaking sniper shot would be only 0.2 miles away from the generally accepted record, which was set by an unnamed Canadian soldier in Iraq in 2017. This is not the first time that Ukrainian snipers have been recognized for their exceptional skills. In 2022, another Ukrainian soldier was credited with the world’s second-longest kill from a distance of nearly 2.7 miles from the target.
Ukrainian snipers have gained international fame since Russia invaded their country in February 2014, and they have been nicknamed “Ghosts of Bakhmut.” Their commander, who goes by the call sign “Ghost,” says he is responsible for 113 of his group’s 558 killings over a nine-month period. However, Business Insider could not independently verify these numbers.
Sniping is one of the most grueling and demanding jobs in warfare, requiring immense patience and skill. A sniper can spend up to 16 hours waiting for a target in one spot before taking a shot, and even then, success is not guaranteed. As “Ghost” told Business Insider’s Alia Shoaib: “It’s nothing like the American movies that romanticize sniper work and show it as very glamorous.”