A Ukrainian sniper has reportedly set a new world record for the longest confirmed kill in military history, eliminating two Russian soldiers with a single bullet from more than two and a half miles away. The extraordinary shot, believed to have been fired on August 14, was by a soldier with Ukraine’s elite “Pryvyd” – or Ghost – sniper unit close to the city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk.
Using a domestically produced 14.5mm Alligator rifle, the gunman struck his targets from a distance of around 4,000 metres (13,123 feet), surpassing the previous record set only last year by another Ukrainian marksman, reported The Kyiv Post. According to reports in the Ukrainian media, the kill was made possible through a combination of precision marksmanship, advanced drone reconnaissance, and the integration of artificial intelligence to calculate exactly how to fire the shot to hit its target. Military journalist Yuri Butusov, who published footage of the event, said the bullet penetrated a window before striking the soldiers who had been sheltering inside a building.
Describing the moment as a landmark in modern warfare, he wrote: “The record-breaking shot was made on August 14 using AI under the guidance of a UAV complex with a 14.5mm Alligator rifle.”
The Alligator, produced by Kharkiv-based XADO-Holding, was originally designed as an anti-materiel weapon intended to disable armoured vehicles and equipment.
Weighing 25 kilograms and firing at speeds approaching 1,000 metres per second, the weapon is capable of delivering devastating power across extreme distances.
While its stated effective range is two kilometres, battlefield experience has shown that in the hands of skilled snipers it can achieve far greater results.
The Pokrovsk sector, where the shot was made, has been the scene of heavy fighting in recent weeks, with Russia committing an estimated 110,000 troops in attempts to break Ukrainian defensive lines.
Despite the intensity of the assaults, Ukrainian forces said on Friday that the situation remained under control, crediting defensive ingenuity and the work of specialist units such as Pryvyd.
This is not the first time Ukraine has held the record for the world’s longest confirmed sniper kill. In 2023, 58-year-old sniper Viacheslav Kovalskyi, serving with Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), killed a Russian soldier from 3,800 metres away using a rifle known as “Lord of the Horizon”.
Prior to Ukraine’s achievements, the previous record was held by a Canadian special forces sniper who killed a target from 3,540 metres in Iraq in 2017.
The latest feat highlights the growing prominence of Ukrainian sharpshooters, who have become specialists in extreme-range engagements since the Russian invasion began in 2022.
Military analysts note that the combination of innovative domestic weaponry, drone integration, and AI-assisted targeting has given Ukraine an edge in a field once dominated by Western militaries.
While the psychological impact of such record-breaking shots is significant, Ukrainian commanders stress that they also serve a practical battlefield purpose: disrupting enemy command posts, demoralising Russian troops, and demonstrating that no position is beyond reach.
For Ukraine, the “longest kill in history” is both a tactical success and a potent symbol of resilience in a war now well into its third year.
