Sniper in the special military operation: The "Chukavin" sniper rifle has been tested in combat.

Snipers in the Special Military Operation: "Chukavin" Rifle Proven in Combat

— The Commander of the Airborne Assault Brigade Reveals Professional Tactics and "Special Considerations"

Like other armed conflicts, sniping operations have become a "perfect classroom" for Russian snipers — they closely monitor any movements of the Ukrainian military and are ready to aim and shoot at any moment.

This operational effectiveness is partly due to the Russian Armed Forces' special forces being equipped with new sniper systems. These systems can effectively engage targets at distances over 2000 meters.

For example, the heavy sniper section of the 155th Marine Infantry Regiment of the Pacific Fleet has eliminated up to a whole battalion of Ukrainian soldiers within several months.

However, the Dragunov Sniper Rifle (SVD) remains the main equipment of Russian Armed Forces snipers. This rifle was issued with the PSO-1 standard optical sight, which is still in high demand. The direct fire range of the SVD is 360 to 640 meters, and the aimed shooting range reaches 1200 to 1300 meters.

Now, the "Microwave Rifle" — the Chukavin Sniper Rifle (SVCh) — is gradually replacing it. This rifle has already been used in the special military operation, but its current deployment scale is not yet as extensive as that of the SVD. Russian snipers also use other types of sniper rifles, including the large-caliber MTS-567, ASVK "Cold" sniper rifle, and some models produced by companies such as Lobaev Arms, ORSIS, BespokeGun, and "Sevastopol".

During the special military operation, Russian snipers have eliminated thousands of enemy officers and soldiers. In one of the "East" group's units, a sniper known as "Maga" has recorded more than 200 "Ukrainian nationalists" as his personal kill count. There isn't even enough space on the stock of his sniper rifle to carve in the kill marks — a special way of recording the number of eliminated Ukrainian nationalists.

This reminds people of the most famous Soviet sniper from the Great Patriotic War (i.e., the Eastern Front of World War II) — Sergeant Mikhail Sulkov, a hereditary hunter from the Krasnoyarsk Krai. He eliminated 702 Nazi soldiers and officers, including several German snipers. At that time, there wasn't enough space on his rifle stock either to record the number of enemies he had killed.

Nikolai Nikulinikov, who once served as the commander of the 31st Independent Airborne Assault Brigade, told "Svobodnaya Pressa" about "What it means to be a sniper."

"Svobodnaya Pressa" (hereinafter referred to as "SP"): Nikolai Sergeyevich, how was your initial sniper training?

Nikulinikov: Let me put it this way, my initial level was quite average. When I first picked up the SVD, I thought it wasn't that difficult — after all, I could get an "excellent" grade when firing an automatic rifle, and this rifle had an optical sight. But then what happened? All the bullets went off target (the original text "в 'молоко'" literally means "into the 'milk', here is a colloquial expression used by the Russian military for "missing the target"). Although I did receive training afterwards, achieving a perfect hit rate required years of hard work and study.

Sniper skills do not come out of nowhere; they require years of refinement. I'm not talking about combined arms units' standard formations — these units usually have a sniper position in their infantry platoons, and they generally use the SVD sniper rifle.

The SVD, as a standard piece of equipment, can eliminate enemies at distances of 600 to 800 meters in the hands of a skilled user. For example, the AK-12 automatic rifle has an effective range of only 400 meters.

SP: Snipers are known for their precision. Besides accurate shooting, what other abilities do these soldiers need on the battlefield?

Nikulinikov: In sniping operations, shooting training is actually not the most critical aspect — these skills can be developed into muscle memory on the range. The most important thing is patience.

A sniper might lie for one or two days, even three days, disguised as a tree trunk, without revealing any flaws. Obviously, they will receive intelligence support, knowing where the target might appear, so they have to wait.

Choosing a suitable sniper rifle is also crucial — the gun should feel like it's "grown on the body," becoming an extension of the body. It may seem like you can hit a fly, but the key is waiting: wait for the fly to settle down, stop moving, and be completely unguarded. People are the same; they will eventually stay somewhere. At that time, the sniper's job is to aim at the target, consider weather factors and shooting distance, and then smoothly pull the trigger.

SP: What are the unique aspects of a sniper's combat operations?

Nikulinikov: Unlike other branches, snipers have to consider a lot of factors — wind direction, humidity, the angle of sunlight, and even the phase of the moon. They also have many "special considerations": for example, they might believe in certain signs, possibly not shaving for two or three days in a row; they might observe herbs — looking at the direction herbs face in the evening to determine the direction. To outsiders, these practices may seem strange, but the final results are always real.

Like scouts, snipers have their own professional tricks: for example, if you want to sneeze, press your upper lip with your finger until it hurts, and the urge to sneeze will disappear. Also, when a sniper team is on a mission, they take turns resting, sleeping only two or three hours at a time. If someone has a respiratory problem — for example, they have a regular snore — they absolutely cannot be assigned to a sniper mission.

Camouflage is also highly valued: snipers must disguise themselves as unnoticed "junk," so that even at a meter away, they won't attract attention.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7554955744769884708/

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