The kill shots were made on August 14, with the Ukrainian sniper engaging the targets with a customized 14.5x114mm (.57 caliber) XADO Snipex anti-material rifle (AMR).
The Ukrainian military claimed that last week, one of its elite snipers successfully set a new world record for the longest confirmed sniper kill, reportedly hitting two Russian soldiers at a distance of more than 13,000 feet (4,000 meters).
“The Ukrainian sniper achieved a confirmed hit at a distance of 4,000 meters, updating the world record for engagement range. The bullet passed through a window where the target was located,” wrote Ukrainian journalist Yurii Butusov—who also shared a video of the shot on the Telegram social messaging app.
According to Butusov, the shooter was from Ukraine’s feared “Pryvyd” sniper unit, which has engaged with as many as 1,000 Russian personnel in just the past year. While the exact number of Russians “removed from the board” by the elite sniper unit is unknown, it has been praised in the past for accomplishing its mission.
Last week’s confirmed kill shot surpassed the previous record, which 58-year-old Viacheslav Kovalskyi of the Security Service of Ukraine had held. In November 2023, Kovalskyi had a confirmed kill at approximately 3,800 meters (12,467 feet) in the Kherson region, using a Ukrainian-made multi-caliber Horizon’s Lord rifle. Kovalskyi had surpassed an unnamed Canadian sniper, who scored a kill at 3,540 meters (11,614 ft) in Iraq in 2017.
It is important to note that these shots and the corresponding records are only maintained unofficially. No international body, such as the Guinness World Records, certifies or records the distance of sniper kills.
A Snipex Alligator Rifle Was Used to Make the Shot
The kill shots were made on August 14, with the Ukrainian sniper engaging the targets with a customized 14.5x114mm (.57 caliber) XADO Snipex anti-material rifle (AMR). The Ukrainian military adopted the domestically-developed bolt-action, magazine-fed AMR in early 2001, and has seen much use in the ongoing war with Russia.
The Alligator is fired from a five-round detachable box magazine, and according to Military Factory, it has an effective range of 2,000 meters (6,561 feet) and a maximum range of 7,000 meters (23,000 feet). The rifle, which can fire a projectile that “is rated against 10mm armor protection,” was developed to destroy lightly armored military hardware, but has also been employed as an anti-personnel weapon. To address the recoil that comes with such a high-powered cartridge, it is “retarded by several measures,” which include a “multi-slotted muzzle brake, padded shoulder stock, and recoil isolator.”
The rifle’s recoil is not the only issue shooters need to deal with. A post from early 2024 on X showed the size and length of the rifle, which weighs a hefty 55 pounds (25 kg) and is 79 inches (2,000mm). The Alligator is equipped with a MIL-STD Picatinny rail that allows for the mounting of scopes and other optics, but it is unclear what type of scope may have been employed in the recent kill shot.
Ukrainian Snipers Utilized Advanced Technology
Unlike past record-holding snipers, who relied solely on spotting scopes, wind meters, and instincts, the unnamed shooter in Ukraine utilized a reconnaissance drone and artificial intelligence to pinpoint crucial details and execute the shot.
Moreover, it is a myth (perpetrated in no small part by video games) that snipers routinely strive for a “one shot, one kill.” There are countless factors, including wind, distance, and even temperature, that determine a bullet’s trajectory. Multiple follow-up shots may be necessary, as was the case with last week’s shot. However, the use of new technology does not make it less impressive, even if the same assistance was not available to past shooters.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Shutterstock / wedmoments.stock.
