{
  "id": 8247840,
  "title": "Ukraine’s snipers didn’t vanish in the drone war—their job changed beyond recognition",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/ukraines-snipers-didnt-vanish-in-the-drone-war-their-job-changed",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-18T12:54:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Euromaidan Press",
    "slug": "euromaidan-press",
    "url": "https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/09/18/ukraines-snipers-didnt-vanish-in-the-drone-war-their-job-changed-beyond-recognition/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Drones have dominated the attention in this war, yet Ukrainian snipers remain on the front lines, as two marksmen revealed to Army Inform. The presence of these drones has significantly heightened the challenges they face. Their work now revolves around observation rather than direct engagement, demanding long periods of hidden observation, constant thermal scanning, and an unwavering effort to remain unseen. Across the drone-infested front, cheap cameras in the sky have altered nearly every role—infantry, logistics crews, and now snipers—requiring survival to depend more on staying unseen rather than firepower. The task primarily consists of vigilance. The two snipers, a squad leader named Efiop and his partner Maister, are part of the National Guard's 3rd Operational Purpose Brigade Spartan. Maister, a former factory worker, enlisted in 2022 after witnessing the devastation caused by Russian troops on Ukrainian children. He joined the fight to protect those children and now has a daughter of his own. While a team secures a sector and maintains it around the clock via thermal scanning, Efiop noted that they could sit still for 40 days without firing a shot or, in a single day, eliminate a significant number of the enemy. Efiop's longest stretch at one location lasted 48 days, and he has worked at a distance of 2,540 meters—more than a mile and a half. Carrying up to 154 pounds on his back, traversing over 12 miles to reach a position, is often the most challenging aspect. Reaching a position is frequently the toughest part of the job. The load sometimes crosses more than 20 kilometers, more than 12 miles, of open ground with no tree line for cover. Lately, things have slightly improved: food can now be delivered by a heavy Vampire bomber drone. The most significant shift has come from above, with Russian drones equipped with thermal cameras being able to identify bullets as they fly due to their warmth, subsequently destroying the positions from which they were fired. One instance saw Russian drones catch them off guard, taking out three snipers before they could retreat. Efiop recalled how they moved immediately, and everyone survived. Now, snipers operate remotely from a safer location instead of staying behind the scope for hours. A mortar round once narrowly missed one of their scopes, saving a life.",
  "summary": "Up to 154 pounds on their backs, weeks at one position, a thermal scope always running—modern sniping is far more watching than shooting.",
  "key_points": [
    "Ukrainian snipers' role shifted from direct engagement to observation",
    "Drones, especially Russian ones with thermal cameras, pose new challenges",
    "Snipers now operate remotely from safer locations"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}