A Ukrainian sniper has halted a Russian armoured personnel carrier (APC) with a single shot from an astonishing distance of 1,700 metres during an enemy assault. The footage, shared by the military Telegram channel Sniper Group E40, shows the extraordinary moment when the sniper fired a 12.7 by 99 millimetre anti-material rifle and struck the vehicle, believed to have hit the driver-mechanic or nearby engine, effectively stopping it on the spot.
Despite operating in poor visibility and from an awkward firing position, the sniper’s shot was so effective that intercepted Russian radio traffic reported, in horror, that the “driver’s head was taken off.” The sniper himself reportedly could not believe the outcome at first. While the full visual confirmation is obscured by rubber sheet anti-drone superstructures on the Russian vehicle, the fact that the APC came to an immediate halt supports the assumption of a successful and deadly hit.
These powerful rifles, often chambered in .50 BMG, or 12.7 by 99 mm, are categorised as anti-material due to their ability to pierce up to 22 millimetres of armour. They are specifically designed for targeting vehicles and equipment from great distances, rather than personnel.
The feat marks only the latest in a series of extraordinary long-distance Ukrainian sniper strikes. In an earlier operation, a Ukrainian special forces officer used 338 Lapua Magnum ammunition to eliminate a Russian invader at 2,690 metres – setting a national record for confirmed long-range kills.
In another development on the front lines near Lyman, the elite Signum unit of Ukraine’s 53rd Mechanised Brigade used a fibre optic guided first person view drone to destroy a camouflaged Russian T72B3 tank and a large cache of ammunition. The devastating explosion that followed underscored the effectiveness of Ukraine’s growing drone capabilities and battlefield coordination. The unit had collaborated with reconnaissance teams from the 81st Air Assault Brigade to identify the target.
Elsewhere, Ukrainian forces also achieved a rare feat by shooting down an Iranian-made Shahed drone mid-air using a Ukrainian drone equipped with a thermal vision-guided Sting interceptor. This aerial interception is believed to be the first confirmed instance of a drone-on-drone takedown above the clouds.
But even as Ukrainian forces demonstrate tactical brilliance and technological innovation, the human cost of the war remains stark. In Vasylkiv, 27-year-old Anna Yemnko was killed when a Russian drone hit her residential building. In a final act of selflessness, she shielded her four-year-old son Mark with her own body. Mark survived with facial injuries, while Anna’s husband continues to serve on the front lines.
Calls for greater sanctions on Russian energy continue, with Lithuania’s Foreign Minister urging Europe to stop importing Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), citing successful alternatives sourced from the United States. “Energy is the Kremlin’s war engine,” he said, emphasising the importance of cutting off the economic fuel funding the Russian war machine.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has re-entered the conversation about peace negotiations, expressing vague optimism while once again avoiding serious commitment or specifics. Though claiming he urged the Russian dictator to “end this bloodbath,” Trump offered no clarity on concrete plans, instead suggesting that if things became difficult, he would simply “step away.” His tone has done little to reassure Ukrainian officials, who view his past and present rhetoric with caution.
