– They were so happy to see us.

That’s what Canadian sniper “Wali” tells Canadian broadcaster Radio Canada.

Along with three other former Canadian Army soldiers, he traveled to Ukraine to fight alongside Ukrainian forces against the Putin regime.

For his own safety and that of his family, the broadcaster has chosen not to use the sniper’s full name.

The sniper says the foursome received hugs, handshakes, flags and photos from Ukrainians as they crossed the border.

He won’t say exactly where he went in Ukraine, but says they were greeted by refugees as they left the country.

– There were buses everywhere, said the foreign warrior.

Left wife and baby

To The Press “Wali” says he visited Ukraine on Wednesday last week. There he joined the British soldiers who had entered the country for the same reasons.

The 40-year-old, who after being deployed twice as a sniper for Canada in Afghanistan, chose to enlist after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj requested help from foreign soldiers.

“There are several informal groups of ex-soldiers who have registered since last week,” Wali told the newspaper.

Back in Canada, he left behind his wife and baby who will be one year old this week.

– I know, it’s just awful. But in my head, it’s my son I see when I see the devastation in Ukraine. When I see a destroyed building, it’s the person who owns it, who sees his pension fund go up in smoke, I see. I go there for humanitarian reasons, he explains.

– Killed 40 in one day

It was while ‘Wali’ was serving in Afghanistan that he got his nickname, after killing dozens of enemies with a sniper rifle, according to mark.

A good sniper can normally kill a few soldiers a day, while “Wali” should have killed up to 40 people in a day.

In 2017, an unidentified Canadian sniper killed an IS soldier 3.5 kilometers away. It is the longest confirmed shot in the world. Some media claim it was Wali, but this has not been confirmed.

– Important parts

Alan Jensen (46) from Moelv has over 20 years of experience behind him as a sniper and sniper instructor in the Norwegian Armed Forces.

He tells Dagbladet that snipers can be very important pieces in the war, especially if it spreads into cities.

– You need very few of them to get the same effect as with multiple regular infantry. They want to be a moral boost to themselves, at the same time they want to demotivate the opponent’s forces, Jensen explains.

The former sniper explains that the sniper’s primary task in a war is to take out high-value targets such as officers, pilots, and personnel operating armored vehicles.

– They remain hidden until the first shot, then it is important that the targets they take out are center pieces. At the same time, they have very good patience. Perfectionism allows them to hit targets at a distance of 1000-1500 meters.

– Demotivating effect

The 46-year-old does not personally know any of the foreign fighters in Ukraine, but has read the stories of several who have been to the country.

He thinks it can help hit the opponent.

– Many people call them ghosts. We don’t always know they are there, but fear is always created. Only a rumor can have a great demotivating effect on the enemy.