A top Ukrainian sniper who says he shot and killed 113 Russian soldiers in nine months is looking for important targets in Donbas.
The ‘Ghosts of Bakhmut’ are a special group of well-trained soldiers who say they have killed 558 Russian soldiers recently.
Their leader, known as Ghost, told Insider that being a sniper is not as glamorous as American films make it seem.
We work all day and night without any distinction between day or night. There are no days off.
‘You’re extremely tired, all your energy is gone, and when you return from a task, you’re in a complete state of disarray. ‘
Ghost and his team usually hunt important Russian targets from about 230 feet away. They are frequently sent to dangerous areas as a leading unit for Ukraine’s counter-attack operations, which have become more intense in the past few months.
“He said that when we have a plan to attack or defend, our job is to be the first ones to go in and make sure the area is safe. ”
Ghost says that the unit has killed as many enemies as a whole military battalion. The commander also says that they personally killed 113 of them.
However, these numbers could not be confirmed by another source.
The squad, named after their leader, keeps track of the kills they make using electronic sights on their rifles.
The group will usually stay in one place for about 16 hours a day to keep an eye on their targets. After that, they will lie down for three to five hours to make sure their targets are eliminated.
But he said that the dangerous job is exhausting and can really affect people’s mental well-being.
The team members try to keep things normal when they come back home from missions. The leader says he spends time talking to his young daughter and making music to relax after missions.
He believes that the husky named Lola in their unit is important for boosting the team’s happiness and he even calls her the group’s ‘anti-depressant. ‘
The special team had to train for 10 months before they could go to Bakhmut.
Ghost, who used to be an entrepreneur, claims that he has been working as a sniper since 2014. He decided to join the military after Russia took control of Crimea in an illegal way. In 2016, he received training to become a sniper from instructors from the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and Lithuania.
The commander said that his squad’s training was helpful and none of his team members have died.
The Ghost said that he and another shooter got hurt while on a mission. A bomb exploded close to him and some small pieces cut into his leg.
He had to stay in the hospital for 12 days because of this injury.
He also said that the reason why the group is successful is because they are a close and independent group who all strongly believe in Ukraine’s cause.
‘I trust every man who works with me completely,’ he said.
‘We can do everything on our own without needing help from anyone else. ‘ All parts of our task are done by our own members. We have our own drivers, truck repairers, and we handle everything ourselves.
We don’t need help from anyone outside our team. This is likely the reason why we are all still alive and together.
Bravery can be developed and cultivated over time. One needs to be strong, tough, determined, mentally tough, and obviously love their country.
This part of being patriotic is really important because a person needs to know why they are doing it.