A Ukrainian sniper is believed to have broken the world record for the longest confirmed kill shot in history.
The shot from a 14.5mm Alligator sniper rifle was fired from more than two-and-a-half miles away on August 14.
Dramatic footage obtained by The Sun shows the marksman and his spotter preparing several rounds before the fatal hit pierced a glass window and struck two Russian soldiers.
The record-breaking distance, which was 13,123ft, eclipses the previous high mark of over 2.3 miles set by Ukrainian sniper Viacheslav Kovalskyi in 2023.
Before that, a Canadian special operations sniper held the record at 2.19 miles, achieved in Iraq in 2017.
The mission took place on the Pokrovsk–Myrnohrad defensive line in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, where Russia has deployed more than 110,000 troops in an effort to break through fortified Ukrainian positions.
Ukrainian forces confirmed the line remains under their control as of Friday.
According to the outlet, artificial intelligence reportedly played a key role in the strike, working alongside a drone reconnaissance system to identify the targets’ position before the Ghost unit (Pryvyd) sniper platoon carried out the strike.
Pryvyd, made up of eight sniper units within Ukraine’s Ground Forces, has eliminated nearly 1,000 Russian soldiers in the past year alone, per Ukrainian military reports.
The record-breaking shot comes as global attention turns once again to the war, following a tense summit between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15.
The leaders described their three-hour meeting as “productive,” with Trump telling reporters that while he and Putin found common ground on many issues, there were still several points of disagreement, most minor, but one particularly significant, per Sky News.
The press conference beforehand descended into chaos after a reporter pressed Putin on civilian deaths and ceasefire commitments.
According to lip reader Nicola Hickling, the Russian president appeared to respond with the words, “You are ignorant,” though others claimed he was urging the press to leave.
Trump, who was seated beside him, was reportedly seen signaling discomfort to an aide during the exchange.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is scheduled to visit the White House on August 18, shared a statement on X before the talks took place.
He wrote: "The key thing is that this meeting should open up a real path toward a just peace and a substantive discussion between leaders in a trilateral format – Ukraine, the United States, and the Russian side."
It is time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America. We are ready, as always, to work as productively as possible," Zelenskyy added.
Yet questions about battlefield realities remain unresolved, and the extraordinary sniper shot highlights how technologically advanced the fighting has become, even as world leaders push for a diplomatic end to the war.