More than 30 Austrian-manufactured sniper rifles have been adopted for service with Russia’s Airborne Forces special task units, Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Alexander Kucherenko said on Friday.
These are the first foreign made rifles to be officially used by this branch of service.
The rifles have been delivered under a 2010 contract and more will be delivered later, Kucherenko said, declining to disclose the rifle’s full official designation.
Judging by the specifications he provided, the rifle in question could be the Steyr-Mannlicher SSG-69, 7.62mm with a 10-round magazine and an effective range of more than 2,000 meters.
A number of Russian servicemen have taken a special training course in handling the new rifle, he said.