“I’m not afraid of the Russians!”: Snipers scour the east of Ukraine

“I’m not afraid of Russians!” Raven exclaims. sniper Ukrainian border guards in Donbass. “But don’t tell my mom I’m here!” adds a 29-year-old soldier in Ukraine with a laugh.

Since childhood Raven dreamed to be sniper. in fighters, snipers They are often described as ruthless and silent lone wolves, eager to kill their prey with surgical efficiency.

But “Raven” – his pseudonym, which means “raven” in Ukrainian – describes a completely different reality.

To accomplish his mission, he needs much more than his AXMC, a rifle that can hit targets up to a mile away.

“Usually what I have doesn’t always fit in one car,” he explains, hiding his face under a ski mask and heated hood to keep out the cold and keep his identity a secret.

“I take shovels to build my position and, of course, ammo. Also my cover team with an overseer. Usually five or six people, at least four,” he clarifies.

Despite heavy fighting and relentless shelling in places like Bakhmut, a Ukrainian town that the Russian army has been trying to capture for months, the winter months have slowed the pace of battles for control of Donbass.

However, the conflict is expected to escalate as the first anniversary of the Russian invasion on 24 February approaches.

preparation and waiting

snipers they can carry out tasks of reconnaissance of targets at a distance of up to three kilometers or fire at small groups of enemy fighters from shelters.

But their main task is to meticulously monitor any changes occurring in the environment. In the countryside, “a bush that was not there the day before may harbor sniper enemy,” he explains.

“In most urban areas, we are looking for changes in windows or roofs, and what is not as it should be. Everything is a threat,” he says.

Raven Dodges the Question of Efficiency snipers in the war to this day, but argues that they remain necessary.

“Some people hate us. But if problems arise, people always want us to be there,” he says.

snipers occupy a special place in the paramilitary unit, which patrols the borders in peacetime Ukraine. “We are the eyes of our commander and those who will eliminate the most dangerous threat, unless it is a tank,” he emphasizes.

Raven explains that looking through the scope for long hours can be stressful, but there is nothing more difficult than resisting the cold for hours.

snipers They can stay in one position for up to two days. Even when the temperature drops to -12ºC, as it was recently.

“It’s hard work,” he says. But preparation and waiting, painful as they are, are the strength of these men.

“They joke in the army that if you tell the infantry and sniper They have eight hours to cut down a tree, the infantry takes eight hours to cut it down. Seven sniper sharpens his ax, and then cuts it down with one blow, ”he sums up.

(According to AFP)

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