The mega sniper rifle Ukrainian forces are using against Putin’s soldiers

Ukrainian forces are deploying a devastating mega sniper rifle in their battle against Vladimir Putin’s invading troops.

At over six-feet in length, the Ukrainian-made Snipex Alligator is bigger than even some of the marksmen pulling the trigger of the 55-pound rifle.

The huge weapon fires rounds that can penetrate armour that is around half-an-inch thick from a distance of a mile away, making it a highly effective weapon against Russian armour and soldiers alike.

Pictured: A Ukrainian soldier takes aim down the sight of a Snipex Alligator sniper rifle – the mega sniper rifle Ukrainian forces are using in their battle against Putin’s invading troops

The Snipex Alligator is a bolt-action rifle manufactured by XADO-Holding Ltd – a multinational company with headquarters in Germany, the Netherlands and Ukraine.

It fires huge 14.5x114mm rounds through the air at around 980 metres per-second, and is capable of penetrating the side of a Russian BTR-80 armoured vehicle with a single bullet from a mile away.

The Alligator was designed to be used against both moving and stationary targets, including vehicles, communications and air-defence systems. 

It is also effective in taking out parked aircraft, fixed defensive positions and dugouts.

The detachable box magazine holds five rounds of ammunition – which is typically fired from a heavy machine gun.

In order for the Alligator to be usable by ground troops, recoil from the rifle is supressed by a four- to five-chamber muzzle brake, while a heavily padded rifle stock was installed to protect the shooter.

And while the huge sniper rifle may sound unwieldy, it packs a punch against enemy armour that few weapons can, while also being mobile enough to be carried.

This all means that Ukraine’s solders have at their disposal a devastating weapon against Moscow’s slow-moving personnel carriers, thousands of which have been destroyed by various means since Putin launched his invasion in February.

The Alligator was first revealed to the world in June 2020 on Snipex’s Facebook page, and in July the first demonstration video was released on YouTube – which showed the massive rifle striking targets at a great distance.

Later that same year, the Armed Forces of Ukraine unofficially adopted the weapon, and officially adopted it into its arsenal in March 2021.

Ukraine’s use of mobile weapon systems – such as the Alligator or the hand-half Javelin missile system – has meant its troops have been able to remain agile in the face of the more slow-moving Russian vehicles and tactics. Pictured: A destroyed Russian tank in the Kharkiv region

The war in Ukraine has been its first outing on the battlefield. It is unclear how many Alligators are being used by Kyiv’s troops against the Russian invaders, however pictures of soldiers posing next to the massive rifles have emerged online.

Ukraine’s use of mobile weapon systems – such as the Alligator or the hand-held Javelin missile system – has meant its troops have been able to remain agile in the face of the more slow-moving Russian vehicles and tactics.

On several occasions, Kyiv’s troops have successfully ambushed the Russian invaders, destroying tanks and other armoured vehicles and retreating into cover before Moscow’s soldiers have even been able to react.

This is seen as one of the many reasons Ukraine has so far been able to resist the Russian onslaught, and in recent months was able to launch a counter-offensive that has pushed Russian soldiers back towards their own border.