A Ukrainian sniper from the elite Pryvyd (“Ghost”) unit has killed two Russian soldiers with a single bullet from an extraordinary 2.5 miles (4,000 m) range—believed to be the longest confirmed sniper kill ever recorded.
The shot took place on 14 August, between Myrnohrad and Pokrovsk in eastern Donetsk Oblast, just as Russia claimed a breakthrough near Pokrovsk. Although Ukrainian forces have pressed back with some success, the battle remains fierce. At the same time, President Vladimir Putin demanded that Ukraine withdraw from Donetsk and Luhansk to end the war — a proposal Kyiv firmly rejected, insisting it will not surrender land still under its control.
How it happened: Tech meets precision
- Rifle Used: 14.5 mm Snipex Alligator, an anti-materiel rifle originally meant to destroy equipment, not personnel. Its official effective range is 2,000 m—only half the distance achieved in this shot.
- Guidance Tools: The sniper used AI-assisted targeting and drone surveillance to calibrate the record-breaking strike.
Journalist Yurii Butusov released the footage and praised the performance:
“Incredible accuracy and a new world record for the longest range!” he wrote on Telegram.
Shattering sniper records
If confirmed, this milestone surpasses the previous Ukrainian record of 3,800 m, set by Vyacheslav Kovalskyi in November 2023 with the Lord of the Horizon rifle.
Other historic long-range marks include:
- 3,540 m — Canadian sniper vs. ISIS fighter (2017)
- 2,478 m — British sniper Craig Harrison vs. Taliban fighter (2009)
Innovation born of necessity
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has become a testing ground for battlefield innovation. Sniper teams now regularly combine drones, AI software, and forward observers, often surpassing the original limits of their hardware.
As Defence Express noted:
“Real-life experience has shown … the actual capabilities of Ukrainian weapons, which have far exceeded their creators’ expectations.”