laststandonzombieisland

Hero Radna Ayusheev, an ethnic Bashkir sniper of the 63rd Soviet Naval Infantry Brigade, is photographed during the Petsamo–Kirkenes Offensive. The Petsamo–Kirkenes Offensive was a major military offensive mounted by the Soviet Army against the German Wehrmacht in 1944 in northern Finland and Norway. The offensive defeated the Wehrmacht’s forces in the Arctic, driving them back into Norway. Ayusheev is credited with killing 25 German soldiers during the operation but was later killed in action at Kirkenes, Norway, October 1944 (Hattip bag of dirt)

Dig on the SVT-40, the original Soviet battle rifle of which Ayusheev almost surely has the Sniper Rifle variant that shared the same 3.5x PU optic that the Mosin 91/30 Sniper used– though if you note, our good Soviet marine is lacking an optic on his.

The Wermacht, liked these rifles so much they used captured SVT’s extensively with the preceding SVT-38 known as the SIG.258(r), the SVT-40 as the SIG.259(r), and the SVT-40 Sniper Rifle was designated the SIG.Zf260(r).

As for the 63rd, they carry the moniker of the “Guards Kirkenneskaya” brigade today due to this campaign. They earned it. Unlike some Frontoviks who fought against easy-going Romanians or Italians, the 63rd went into combat against tough German Gerbisjagers mountain troops and the Finns– on their home turf, which most invaders agree is never a good idea.