Wall Street Journalさんのインスタグラム写真 - (Wall Street JournalInstagram)「The Ukrainian sniper had lain still for hours in near freezing temperatures when the command came to take the shot at a Russian soldier almost 2½ miles away. “You can,” his spotter said, and Vyacheslav Kovalskiy pulled his trigger.⁠ ⁠ The bullet took around nine seconds to reach its target, who doubled up and fell, according to a video of the shot reviewed by WSJ. Kovalskiy and Ukraine say the shot set a new sniping distance record, breaking the previously acknowledged mark by more than 850 feet.⁠ ⁠ While combat hits such as this aren’t verified by a third-party adjudicator, the shot has offered Ukraine a morale boost when the country’s forces are struggling to make headway at the front line. Sniping has played a prominent role in the war with Russia, where static front lines in a flat landscape suit the discipline, even as drones and mines change the way the marksmen operate.⁠ ⁠ The macabre record was also a shot heard around the world of snipers, a group of highly skilled shooters who have long pushed the boundaries of just how far a bullet can travel with accuracy.⁠ ⁠ Several snipers and ballistics experts contacted by the Journal said that while the shot is possible with the equipment described, it would be hard to execute given the uncontrollable variables, not least the weather, that would have to be taken into account at such distances.⁠ ⁠ The shot has been widely covered by Ukrainian news websites. It was also noted with pride by Ukrainian soldiers on the front line.⁠ ⁠ Kovalskiy, 58, and his spotter say they have no regrets about killing Russians. Despite his age, the Ukrainian signed up as a sniper on the first day of Russia’s full-scale invasion. “It doesn’t worry me a gram,” Kovalskiy said.⁠ ⁠ Read more at the link in our bio.⁠ ⁠ 📷: @joseph_sywenkyj for @wsjphotos」12月7日 9時00分