Ukrainian sniper 'takes out Russian soldier 1.68 miles away' nearing world record for longest kill

The Ukrainian military has claimed one of its snipers took out a Russian soldier at a distance of 1.68 miles (2,710 metres), nearly breaking a world record.

From 2009 to 2017, former British soldier Craig Harrison held the record for the longest shot after hitting two Taliban machine gunners in Afghanistan from 1.53 miles (2,475 metres) away.

However, this changed in 2017 when a Canadian sniper from Joint Task Force 2 neutralised an Islamic State target in Iraq at a distance of 2.19 miles (3,540 metres).

Although the Ukrainian marksman knocked Harrison out of second spot, he didn't quite make it to first place.

But authorities have still congratulated the soldier for his achievement, including the National Guard of Ukraine, which obtained images of the shot on 11 November.

Alongside the stills, it said in a statement: "With the onset of dusk, snipers of special forces units of the National Guard go hunting.

"Very quick and accurate work by one of them last night."

The images were also passed on by the Office of Strategic Communications of the Armed Forces of Ukraine yesterday (13 November).

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A statement from the organisation reads: "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 special forces from a distance of 2,710 metres - a distance that now ranks 2nd in the world ranking, confirmed by the command of the Armed Forces.

"We would like to remind [people] that the first place in the world is occupied by a shot from a Canadian sniper at a distance of 3,540 metres [11,614 feet] while performing a task in Iraq.

"The second place belonged to the British Craig Harrison, at a distance of 2,475 metres [8,120 feet]."

The news arrives amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, with Russian forces recently retreating from the city of Kherson in what serves as a huge blow to President Vladimir Putin's invasion of the country.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Russian troops destroyed key infrastructure in the southern city including 'communications, water, heat, electricity' before withdrawing.

In a video address on Saturday (12 November), he added that Russian's 'everywhere have the same goal: to humiliate people as much as possible'.

Ukraine Presidents Office/Alamy Stock Photo

"But we will restore everything, believe me," Zelenskyy continued.

So far, it's been claimed that Ukrainian forces had removed nearly 2,000 mines, tripwires and unexploded shells that had been left by the Russians.

Yaroslav Yanushevych, the Ukrainian Governor of the Kherson region, said that everything was being done to 'return normal life' to the region.

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