Amid intense fighting between Ukraine and Russia, one of the world's most fearsome, elite Canadian sniper, nicknamed 'Wali' has reached the war torn-country. He has vowed to fight the Russians as a volunteer fighter in Ukraine.
Reports suggest Wali has already killed 6 Russian soldiers soon after he arrived on Wednesday as part of the Canadian contingent. Wali has come to Ukraine as part of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's call to foreign soldiers to join the country in its fight against Russia.
Even though Russia is still bombing civilian areas across Ukraine, the coming of Wali has given hope to the war-torn nation. "I want to help them. It's as simple as that. I have to help because there are people here being bombarded just because they want to be European and not Russian," Wali said in a recent interview.
Read | Vladimir Putin warns world of any attack on Russia, 10 updates from Ukraine war
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Who is sniper Wali?
The mysterious marksman is known only by the nickname 'Wali'. His name translates to 'protector' or 'guardian' in Arabic.
40-year-old French-Canadian computer scientist had been working as a computer programmer in Canada when the war unfolded.
The elite Canadian sniper has served twice in the Afghanistan war during the operations in Kandahar between 2009 and 2011.
He earned the nickname 'Wali' during this time there as he started killing dozens of enemies with his sniper rifle.
Sniper Wali from the Royal Canadian 22nd Regiment made his reputation during tours in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq.
As part of the elite JTF-2 unit, he was part of the same group of the sniper with the longest distance kill record of 3,540 metres.
In June 2017, Iraq, he shot an IS jihadist at an incredible distance of 3,540 metres, the longest distance any sniper has ever hit a target.
Wali, a veteran of the Royal Canadian 22nd Regiment, said Ukraine's call for help felt 'like a firefighter who hears the alarm ringing'.
He leaves behind his wife and baby son, who will celebrate his first birthday without his father next week.
What makes 'Wali' so dangerous as a sniper?
There are many great snipers around the world but very few are famous and prefer staying anonymous.
A good sniper tends to get around 5-6 kills per day. A great sniper gets between 7-10, that's part of the elite group of snipers.
Wali can provide up to 40 kills per day on a productive campaign. These numbers made him a legend among world's military.
He has appeared on television shows and his face is known where ever he goes.
