Key Points – In 2023, Vyacheslav Kovalskiy, a 58-year-old Ukrainian civilian-turned-sniper, set a new world record for the longest confirmed sniper kill at 2.36 miles (12,468 feet).
-Using a Ukrainian-made “Horizon’s Lord” anti-materiel rifle firing specialized large-caliber ammunition (approximately 6.2 inches long), Kovalskiy, with his spotter, eliminated a Russian officer after hours of observation in freezing conditions.
-The shot required meticulous calculation for distance, wind, temperature, humidity, and even the Earth’s curvature. This feat underscores the advanced marksmanship and indigenous weaponry being utilized by Ukrainian forces in the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Ukrainian Sniper Sets New Record For Longest Kill 2.36 Miles
Sniper: the word makes the skin between your shoulder blades contract if you are a soldier hearing that an enemy has one in your vicinity.
In 2023, a 58-year-old Ukrainian sniper set a new world record for a sniper kill at a distance of over two miles away. The Russian soldiers in the line of fire would not have even heard the gunshot.
We’ll get into that incredible shot and story below. First, did you know where the term “sniper” came from? When I have questions or reference anything related to snipers, my go-to guide is Sniper Central. The site is an outstanding reference to the art, what a sniper is, and where the term originated.
What Is a Sniper, And How Did The Term Originate?
When referring to the role of a sniper in a military environment, we are referring to a soldier who engages the enemy with precision fire from their individual rifle, often times operating from a concealed position on their own or with a small team. Sniping is a more calculated and precise attack than the normal infantry unit attack, where a countless number of rounds are expended in the general direction of the enemy to provide suppression as well as direct attack.
The word sniper originated during the British occupation of India in the 19th century and referred to snipe hunters. The Snipe is a game bird, and at that time, it was desirable to shoot the bird in the head to preserve the meat, which required excellent marksmanship. As such, these snipe hunters became known as “snipers,” and it was a tribute to the high degree of marksmanship required to be proficient.
The role of the sniper has never been more recognized than it is today. All countries have sniper programs, and while many have different tactics that they teach and stress as necessary, most follow the same two missions. Engage and eliminate key, select targets and targets of opportunity with long-range precision rifle fire, and provide reconnaissance and intelligence gathering to battlefield commanders.
And as the training has improved, so have the weapons. Today, many snipers have dedicated sniper rifles that can “reach out and touch someone” from a mile away. And some have rifles that can eliminate targets much farther.
When snipers make these incredible long-distance shots, it isn’t like a made-for-TV movie where the hero lays his weapon down, adjusts the scope, and “BOOM!” No, much more goes into the shot, which may take a long time to set up.
Snipers have to account for and correct a whole host of factors. They need to estimate every external force working on the bullet—wind speed, wind direction, elevation, angle, air density, gravity, and more—from the moment it leaves the barrel until it reaches its target.
Depending on the distance, they might even have to account for the curvature and rotation of the Earth. The actual curvature of the Earth affects distances farther than 2.9 miles. That’s what makes the longest shot so incredible.
Meet Vyacheslav Kovalskiy
Unlike many snipers who have set distance records recently, mostly from dedicated Special Operations units, the man who broke the record from the Ukrainian Army isn’t a professional soldier. He wasn’t in the military until 2022, when Russia invaded his country. And he was 58 freakin’ years old.
Vyacheslav Kovalskiy looks like a fifty-something businessman; he was before the invasion. And yet, a year later, he hit a shot most snipers half his age dream about.
“I was thinking that Russians would now know that is what Ukrainians are capable of,” he said to the Wall Street Journal in his first interview.
“Let them sit at home and be afraid.”
The Incredible Long Shot That Kovalskiy Made
According to video footage, Kovalskiy and his “spotter” initially observed Russian soldiers cutting wood in what appears to be a snowy forest-like setting but considered them too low-ranking to shoot.
Moments later, they spotted a Russian officer giving orders to a group of men near the cluster of soldiers. They had found their target, but Kovalskiy waited several hours in freezing temperatures to shoot.
“You can,” his spotter instructed him.
After the colleague gave him the go-ahead, Kovalskiy used special software he prepared for the strike. He measured his exact distance from the target, the direction and speed of the wind, the air temperature, and the humidity level. He even considered the curvature of the Earth, which was necessary given the shot’s distance.
First, he fired a test round and realized he had miscalculated the wind speed. After making the proper adjustments, Kovalskiy fired again—this time, he was successful. His shot set the bar for a new world record and successfully eliminated a target 12,468 feet away—the distance of over 42 football fields.
“You have to shoot immediately because the wind changes constantly,” Kovalskiy explained to the WSJ.
The footage, which went viral, showed one of the Russian soldiers dropping to the ground after the Ukrainian sniper took the long-distance shot.
The Specialized Rifle, Dwarfs A .50 Caliber Sniper Rifle
The Ukrainian-made weapon is known as “Horizons Lord. ” It was already well-known among weapons makers even before it broke the world record.
The Ukrainian company that makes it, MAYAK, claims that a “good” sniper can reach targets at a range of approximately 8,202 meters when using the weapon.
By comparison, the MacMillan Tac-50, which the previous record holder in Iraq used, ranged from 5,905 meters. Both guns fall under the anti-material rifles (AMR) category, which were first designed to hit tanks in the First World War before being reinvented for modern warfare.
The ammunition Kovalskiy used in his rifle was approximately 6.2 inches long. This size is considered extremely large for a sniper shot, halfway between a .50 caliber and a 20 mm cannon round.
This type of custom-manufactured ammunition is made in Ukraine specifically to travel long distances. And it certainly did.
Coincidentally, in World War II, courtesy of Sniper Central, the top female sniper was also from Ukraine: Lyudmila M. Pavlichenko. She is credited with killing 309 enemy soldiers. There is a sign at the USMC sniper school that reads, “The average rounds expended per kill with the M16 in Vietnam was 50,000. Snipers averaged 1.3 rounds. The cost difference was $2300 v. 27 cents.”
About the Author:
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
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