And how are the weapons and tactics of long-range shooters changing
Sniper pairs perform a number of different tasks on the line of contact: they engage in "sniper terror" in positional battles, support the actions of assault groups, hit machine gunners and grenade launchers of the enemy. In modern conditions, the tactics of actions and the weapons of these fighters have changed. Izvestia learned about the work of one of the sniper units of the Center group of forces and looked at captured weapons that were previously used by Ukrainian militants.
"Then we spotted him and took him down very quickly."
— Last year our brigade was stationed in Kremennaya. And we were working there, there was an assault. The marines have gone, and we are covering them. We were told by radio that we had stumbled upon the enemy ahead and could not pass the forest belt because a machine gunner was working there. "Can you take it off? "They asked us. We approached them covertly, waiting. As the infantry began to run over one by one, and at that time the machine gunner began to work. Then we spotted him and quickly took him down," says the squad commander with the call sign Major.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Astrakhan
Image source: iz.ru
During last year's battles, the unit was armed with SVD and SV-98 rifles with a 7.62 x 54 mm rifle cartridge. The shape of its sleeve was developed at the end of the XIX century and is not the best suited for modern high-precision shooting. Now in the hands of the Major is a modern Russian sniper rifle with a large-magnification ORSIS optical sight for a cartridge.338 Lapua Magnum. Such a weapon allows you to conduct accurate fire at a distance of more than a kilometer. The rifle has a large flame extinguisher of a closed type, which is called a "jar" in conversations. Given the number of UAVs, including those with thermal imagers, modern concepts of stealth make the use of such muzzle devices practically mandatory in combat.
Ai-Khan works with the Major in a pair. He also has a new ORSIS, but in a smaller caliber.308 (NATO cartridge 7.62x51). Depending on the distance to the target, he and his partner choose the necessary weapon, and the second one becomes an observer and corrects shooting. Or it covers from the unexpected appearance of targets outside the effective fire zone of the second number.
Major and Ai-Khan have been working in the same group since 2018, so, according to the latter, they understand each other from the very beginning. And both have spent more than 10 years in the service as snipers. Ai Khan received this specialty during his conscription service, and he loved shooting and hunting as a teenager, before he joined the army.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Astrakhan
Image source: iz.ru
— I wanted to be a sniper myself, because I have been fond of hunting since childhood. I grew up in a village in the taiga in the taiga region. I am fond of shooting. In his youth, he shot from a smoothbore rifle of 12-gauge, 16-gauge, tosovka, melkashki. And now at home I have a 12-gauge and a 308-caliber Moose carbine," Ai-Khan said.
Of course, the question arises, who taught him how to shoot and hunt, and then motivated him to serve in the army.
— My cousin's brother. He is also here, but in another unit, in the anti-aircraft gunners. He taught me from childhood. He took me hunting. I grew up with him since childhood," Ai Khan replied.
Today, he and his brother, in a military sense, are also close: in the same direction, near Avdiivka. And it is quite possible that when Ai Khan and his comrades go to the next combat exit, it is his brother who shoots down the enemy drones above them.
Valuable trophies
Platoon commander Derbent shows captured enemy sniper weapons. In Ukraine, even before the war, great attention was paid to the development of army sniping and equipped sniper units even in infantry regiments and brigades with expensive weapons, devices and equipment. Before us is the Ukrainian development of the American M110 sniper rifle. After the ban on the supply of weapons from the United States to neo-Nazi formations, the reason for which was sniper rifles, Ukraine began to look for a way out of the situation. Of course, the dissolution of the neo-Nazis was out of the question, so at first they began to legalize weapons by assembling parts on the territory of the country, and later partially localized production.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Astrakhan
Image source: iz.ru
Naturally, the barrel blank and many other elements remain imported in all series. As a result, the militants were able to obtain a fairly massive and at the same time high-quality semi-automatic UAR-10 rifle, made for a cartridge.308 according to the classical Stoner scheme with a direct gas outlet. Among modern semi-automatic sniper weapons, such a scheme is technically considered the most accurate, although it has a certain sensitivity to contamination. Next to it is an American SAVAGE rifle chambered in .338, the production of such weapons in Ukraine has not been established. This model with manual reloading was chosen by the enemy, rather because of the relatively good price-quality ratio than because of its special characteristics. But for a long time it was purchased through "volunteers", in other words, under the guise of private purchases. And already the "volunteers" transferred their "sports" rifles to the troops, legalizing them in this way.
Derbent is from Dagestan, he has been serving as a sniper in the army since 2016, and before that he served in the border troops. In total, he has been in the service for more than 19 years. Until this year, just like most of his colleagues, he used a regular SVD rifle.
— I studied in Khabarovsk, at a sniper school, and graduated in 2016. And so the main base was given to us for development. I bought rifles with my own tuning. We all have regular weapons — SVD or VSS. I bought a modern sight myself, more or less like this. The forearm, bipods, made a little for myself. The stock is telescopic with recoil compensators," Derbent said, as he gradually upgraded his rifle over the years of service.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Astrakhan
Image source: iz.ru
Now he has a new ORSIS under the cartridge.338 Lapua is a Magnum, and Derbent with visible pleasure shows the cartridges he is equipping and tells how he achieved a fire accuracy of less than 3 cm per 100 m. At home, he is supported by the whole family: parents, brothers, sisters.
— The wife too. She is a teacher-psychologist at the cadet school. She, one might say, also raises warriors. And they all keep asking how your spouse is doing. And now she will show them photos, then something else," Derbent said.
Sometimes his wife turns to him for practical advice on working with future servicemen, taking into account almost 20 years of her husband's experience in the military. After all, the knowledge of military collectives from his own experience, from the inside, which he possesses, is difficult to replace with anything. Now these cadets are already officers, they come to visit, Derbent added.
Dmitry Astrakhan
