According to the Ukrainian military, an unnamed Ukrainian sniper killed a Russian soldier from 1.68 miles (2,710 meters) away. If true, this would have came close to breaking the world record for longest sniper shot. Although the weapon system used was not identified, the shot seems to be have taken with a thermal sight. Notably, there does not appear to be a “hold” on several of the shots. This is where a shooter uses math to quickly compensate for factors such as distance, windage and the curve of the earth.
Some have questioned the legitimacy of the the shot by pointing out certain factors, such as flight time of the round. However, without knowing the type of munition used, this is hard to account for.
“A Ukrainian sniper came very close to the world record for the longest combat sniper shot. The occupier was eliminated by a precise shot of our commandos from a distance of 2710m – a distance that now ranks 2nd in the world ranking, confirmed by the command of the Armed Forces.” -Ukrainian military’s Office of Strategic Communications
The Ukrainian military’s Office of Strategic Communications also posted the video of the shot on their Telegram channel. This news came just as Russian forces began their retreat from the city of Kherson.
A Canadian special forces sniper holds the number 1 spot for taking out an ISIS fighter from 2.19 miles (3,540 meters) away. The second longest kill was formerly held by British soldier Craig Harrison who shot a member of the Taliban from 1.53 miles (2,475 meters) away. The unidentified Ukrainian soldier may have just surpassed the number 2 spot from Harrison.
*Updated to add more context on 10/16/2022 @1016 a.m. MST
