Ukraine war: 'People call us the Ghosts of Bakhmut'

Ukrainian forces are trying to retake the metropolis of Bakhmut successful the country's east. The BBC was fixed exclusive entree to a squad of elite snipers, referred to arsenic "the Ghosts of Bakhmut", who are conducting nighttime raids nearby.

Ghost, the sniping team's commander, takes america to the spot helium calls the "edge of existence" - their basal connected the outskirts of the city.

"Ghost is my telephone sign" helium tells me. "When we started bringing panic to Bakhmut, we got the sanction 'the Ghosts of Bakhmut'."

Their basal is already good wrong the scope of Russian artillery. Ghost doesn't flinch astatine the crump of a ammunition landing nearby. "The artillery ever makes radical worry," helium says. "You tin fell from artillery, but not from a sniper".

The Ghosts, a squad of astir 20 soldiers, person been operating connected the edges of Bakhmut for the past six months. They often hunt for high-value targets.

I inquire Ghost however galore Russians his squad person killed. He says, "there's a confirmed fig - 524. Seventy-six of those are mine". The squad electronically records each changeable done the sights of their rifle.

Not everyone's keeping number though. Kuzia, the marksman for tonight's mission, says "it's thing to beryllium arrogant of. We're not sidesplitting people, we're destroying the enemy".

Before the warfare helium worked successful a factory. He says helium ne'er liked guns, but felt compelled to instrumentality up arms erstwhile Russia invaded.

Kuzia does 1 last cheque of his US-made Barrett sniper rifle: "Each ngo is dangerous, erstwhile we marque a mistake the force tin deed you," helium says. "Of people I'm frightened - lone a fool wouldn't be."

On tonight's ngo he'll beryllium accompanied by Taras, his spotter. Kusch is the operator - who'll bring them arsenic adjacent arsenic imaginable to the beforehand line. From determination the two-man squad volition person to locomotion much than a mile to scope their target. Ghost volition stay backmost astatine the base, on with the rookie, known simply arsenic the Brit.

The youngest subordinate of the squad got the sanction aft receiving his archetypal grooming successful the UK. He's yet to person his archetypal confirmed kill.

Ghost says he's handpicked each subordinate of the squad based connected their "humanity and patriotism" alternatively than their subject acquisition and skills.

As dusk approaches the squad climbs into their armoured Humvee. I, and cameraman Moose Campbell, volition travel them to the drop-off point.

Kusch, the driver, tells america that portion of the way is inactive being targeted by Russian artillery.

As helium starts the motor the squad each springiness themselves the motion of the cross. Kusch starts to play immoderate euphony from his phone. He says the Ukrainian rap opus gets them successful the mood. But it'll besides disguise the dependable of the shelling.

At archetypal it's hard to perceive the explosions adjacent due to the fact that of the rattle of the Humvee, which Kusch drives astatine velocity implicit pot-holed tracks. But helium points to the entity respective times and warns, "incoming". There are a fewer thuds nearby.

We walk fractional a twelve wrecked Ukrainian armoured vehicles that weren't truthful fortunate. Kusch points to minefields connected either broadside of the ungraded track.

Twenty minutes aboriginal we travel to an abrupt halt adjacent to a ruined house. The two-man sniper squad unfastened the doors and vanish towards a histrion line. Kusch shouts out, "God beryllium with you" earlier making a accelerated exit.

As we instrumentality there's a flash of orangish and a louder explosion. The Humvee starts to rattle adjacent more. Kusch opens his door, portion driving, to look down and lets retired a watercourse of curse words.

A portion of shrapnel has shredded 1 of the backmost tyres. It's a nerve-wracking hobble backmost to base. When we yet instrumentality helium shows america the ample portion of jagged metallic which tore isolated the tyre.

It's present acheronian and the shelling has subsided. Inside their basal they anxiously clasp connected to their radios for quality from the sniper team. Kusch and the Brit gait the floor.

Ghost makes a telephone telephone to his seven-year-old daughter. She's connected talker erstwhile she excitedly shouts, "I emotion you daddy". It's a little burst of normality - but he's already taught her however to portion a gun.

Seven hours later, with small sleep, it's clip for the extraction. We structure successful the gathering portion there's a volley of incendiary fire, and past marque our mode backmost into the Humvee.

This clip it's dark, but Kusch tries to thrust from representation - avoiding turning connected the headlights to pull attention. Another abrupt halt and the two-man sniper squad gets backmost wrong the Humvee.

The alleviation is palpable erstwhile we get backmost to their base.

Kuzia says: "One shot, 1 target."

Later they amusement america the video from the night-scope. They accidental it was a Russian machine-gunner who'd been firing astatine Ukrainian troops adjacent the beforehand line.

They'll remainder present until the adjacent night's mission. Kuzia says: "I'm blessed to beryllium backmost and blessed that everyone's alive".

Over the past six months respective of the squad person been injured, including the commandant Ghost. But nary of them person been killed.

Ghost says "every travel whitethorn beryllium our last, but we're doing a noble deed".

One tiny squad of snipers won't triumph this war, oregon adjacent instrumentality backmost Bakhmut. But they judge they're having an impact.

Kusch says it has a intelligence effect connected their force - hunting down 1 Russian worker astatine a clip from a spot that can't beryllium seen and with a dependable that can't beryllium heard.