Vyacheslav Kovalskiy, the Ukrainian sniper, has surpassed the official longest confirmed sniper kill record, previously held by a JTF2 sniper who hit the target from a distance of 3,540 meters (3,871 yards). Konceski achieved this remarkable feat by hitting the target from an even more impressive distance of 3,800 meters. Over the years, advancements in technology within the weapons industry have propelled sniper rifles and sharpshooters to new heights. Consequently, the benchmark for the longest confirmed sniper kill shot has been consistently pushed further, with Kovalskiy claiming the top spot in this prestigious record.
The latest five longest confirmed kills
| Nationality: | Year: | Country: | Weapon: | Confirmed shot range: |
| Ukraine | 2023 | Ukraine | Horizon’s Lord | 3,800 meters (4,155 yards) |
| Canada | 2012 | Iraq | McMillan TAC-50 | 3,540 meters (3,871 yards) |
| United States | 2012 | Afghanistan | Barrett M82A1 | 2,815 meters (3,078 yards) |
| United Kingdom | 2009 | Confirmed shot range: | AI AWM L115A3 | 2,475 meters (2,707 yards) |
| Canada | 2002 | Afghanistan | – | 2,430 meters (2,657 yards) |
Official longest confirmed sniper kill
Carlos Hathcock had the longest kill on record for over 30 years, from 1967 to 2002, at 2,286 m (2,500 yds). Canadian Arron Perry beat it but held the title for only a few days as another man in his unit Rob Furlong bested Perry’s distance with a 2,430 m (2,657 yds) shot in March 2002.
Craig Harrison’s shot
Since then, the longest confirmed sniper kill was set in Afghanistan when Craig Harrison, a member of the UK’s Household Cavalry, killed two Taliban insurgents from a distance of 2,474 m (2.47 km) – 8,120 ft (1.45 miles) in November 2009. GPS confirmed the shot distance. The rifle used was Accuracy International AWM – L115A3.
Interestingly, the 8.59 mm rounds needed almost three seconds to hit their targets which were 914 m (3,000 ft) beyond the L115A3 sniper rifle’s recommended range. A third shot took out the insurgent’s machine gun.
The US Army Commando Sniper shot in 2012
However, the tight Special Operations Forces community claimed that the new world record was set in Afghanistan in 2012 when a US Army Commando sniper team assigned to ISAF in Helmand province, Afghanistan, made a shot from 2815 meters (3,078.52 yds). The sniper rifle was Barrett M82A1 .50 Cal with Hornady A-MAX .50 bullet. GPS confirmed the shot.
Two marksmen using Barrett M82A1 .50 caliber rifles simultaneously fired. The bullets were six seconds in the air. One killed the Taliban commander. It is not known for sure which sniper fired the fatal shot. While there have been no triumphant press releases in the tight global Special Forces sniper community, the shot is much discussed because it seems certain to be a world record. However, the official world record was still in Craig Harrison’s name.
Canadian sniper kills IS militant two miles away
In late June 2017, a member of Canada’s elite special force team, Joint Task Force 2 (JTF2), made a kill shot at a mind-blowing distance of 3,540 meters (3,871 yards). That’s more than 3.5 km (or 2.1 miles)! That shot was more than a kilometer further than the previous record. The sniper made the shot from a high-rise building.
It reports that it took the bullet almost 10 seconds to hit its target. The shot, which sources tell the paper was filmed, is thought to be a record for the longest confirmed sniper kill. The sniper worked in tandem with an observer, who helped spot targets and used a standard Canadian military-issued McMillan TAC-50 rifle.
Ukrainian sniper set the world’s longest kill shot
Ukrainian counterintelligence sniper Vyacheslav Kovalsky broke the world record by shooting an enemy soldier at a distance of 3,800 meters (4,155 yards).
The Ukrainian sniper had been lying still for hours in freezing temperatures when the command came to shoot a Russian soldier almost 4,000 meters away. “Shot,” said his spotter, and Vyacheslav Kovalsky pulled the trigger.
The bullet took about nine seconds to reach its target, ultimately hitting it. Kovalsky and Ukraine claim that the shot set a new sniper distance record, surpassing the previous mark by more than 3,540 meters.
Although combat hits like this one are not independently verified by authorities, this shot has boosted Ukrainian morale as the country’s forces struggle to advance on the front lines. A Ukrainian sniper, utilizing locally made weapons and bullets, broke the record. Sniping has played a prominent role in the war with Russia, where static front lines in a flat landscape emphasize discipline, even as drones and mines alter operational strategies, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Check out this footage of what is claimed to be the longest successful sniper shot ever recorded, hitting a target 3,800 meters away. The weapon used was a Ukrainian-made Volodar Obriyu anti-material rifle or Horizon’s Lord in English.
