Ukraine’s Security Services (SBU) said its snipers are “rewriting the rules of global sniping.” A recently published video is making the rounds on Ukrainian and Russian social media channels showing the proof.
The video shows the point of view of a Ukrainian sniper targeting Russian troops at a distance of 3,800 meters — over two miles.
There are three people in the video — two on the left, one on the right. The person on the right has the macabre honor of being on the receiving end of what is now the world record for longest range sniper kill. The previous record was 3,540 meters held by a Canadian sniper in Iraq.
The SBU sniper took the shot using a rifle produced in Ukraine. It’s called the Volodar Obriyu, or Horizon’s Lord in English. It’s an anti-material rifle that can take down lightly armored vehicles and anti-tank missile systems. It uses a specially designed cartridge based on the NATO .50 caliber round. Needless to say, the impact on soft targets like Russian soldiers is profound.
An official statement accompanying the video said, “SBU snipers are rewriting the rules of global sniping, showcasing unparalleled abilities to operate effectively at remarkable distances.”
Snipers in Ukraine were known for wreaking havoc and causing chaos, even before the latest record-setting shot. Armed with thermal scopes and cloaks that hide their own thermal signature, sniper teams like the “Ghosts of Bakhmut” are targeting Russian commanders on the battlefield 24 hours a day.
Russia’s ability to fight at night is limited because its troops don’t have enough night vision and thermal optics. Ukraine wants to exploit that advantage as much as possible. In another wartime innovation, the Ukraine Armed Forces are using drones with low-light and thermal imaging sensors as well.
The Lumiere Group from Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade released video on Telegram of its drone operators using a night-time FPV kamikaze drone. The drone looks like it’s tracking a vehicle of some sort before the image cuts out, indicating a successful impact.
Throughout the war in Ukraine, there’s been no shortage of videos showing drones dropping bombs or blowing up themselves. It’s likely many of those videos will now be shot at night.
This marks the latest evolution of drone warfare in Ukraine and shows the degree to which the Ukrainians are relying on the new technology to fight its asymmetric war. Simply put, the inexpensive and highly effective tools are keeping Ukraine in the fight. Keep in mind, Ukraine doesn’t even have a real navy, but aerial drones and unmanned surface vessels crippled Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
Doubling-down on the benefits drones bring to the battle, Ukraine’s Army of Drones initiative announced it would be sending more than 2,000 locally-produced drones to critical areas of the frontlines. The latest shipment will include recon, bomber and kamikaze drones; including a new model of suicide drone called the “Morok” that has a reported range of around 500 miles.
