Wars are not just fought on the battlegrounds alone, especially in our times. In a technologically advanced world, psychological warfare through the means of injecting carefully crafted narratives and interplaying of the myths to create urban legends gives a massive advantage at times of war.
The same efforts are once again evident in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. At first, the myth of “Ghost o Kyiv” – a mysterious MiG-29 fighter pilot who appeared as an enigma over Kyiv to defend Ukrainian skies from Russian aerial attacks, was sold across the world. As it failed to gain any traction, the west-backed Ukraine supporters have come up with another new urban legend story.
This time the hero of their chronicle is not a fighter pilot but an elite Canadian sniper, nicknamed “Wali”.
The latest rumours are that “Wali” has arrived in Ukraine to fight the Russians as a volunteer fighter.
Who is this Wali?
As per the latest rumours, Wali is one of the world’s best snipers. A veteran of the Royal Canadian 22nd Regiment, Wali has arrived in war-torn Ukraine earlier this week to fight the Russian forces.
After arriving in Ukraine, Wali has expressed his eagerness to participate in the war. Apparently, Wali revealed that he felt “like a firefighter who hears the alarm ringing” when Ukrainian President Zelenskyy called on foreigners to join the country’s fight against Russia.
One of the world’s best snipers has arrived in Ukraine.
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) March 8, 2022
The French-Canadian “Wali” from the Royal Canadian 22e Régiment made his reputation during tours in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq
He fought in the same Canadian unit as the sniper with the world’s longest kill (3.5 km)
🇨🇦🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/iWOZiyUXpC
Within two days of his arrival in the war-torn country, Wali has killed six Russian soldiers.
In a recent interview, the famous sniper said, “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 can eliminate 40 people a day
Wali’s story is nothing short of a fairy tale. He is considered one of the best snipers in the world because he can provide 40 kills on a productive day. For a sniper to be regarded as good, on average, one needs 5-6 kills per day, and a great one manages to get 7-10.
A 40-year-old French-Canadian computer scientist, Wali has reportedly served twice in the Afghanistan war between 2009 and 2011. The unnamed Canadian soldier was given the name ‘Wali’, which means protector in Arabic, during his stint in Afghanistan.
⚡️The most famous sniper “Wali” has arrived in #Ukraine to fight against occupiers
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) March 10, 2022
The average productivity of sniper is 7 men a day. On the front type like Ukrainian, productivity can reach up to 10. “Vali” can provide up to 40 deaths per day. pic.twitter.com/XDOibKxiQq
He also has a record for the world’s longest confirmed kill, of 3.5 km. In 2015, he had travelled to Iraq on his own to fight against ISIS.
Back in Canada, Wali has a baby son with his wife. Reportedly, the baby will turn one next week at a time as his ‘hero’ father fights the war in Ukraine.
“They were so happy to have us,” Wali said, adding, “It’s like we were friends right away. A week ago, I was still programming stuff. Now I’m grabbing anti-tank missiles in a warehouse to kill real people. … That’s my reality right now”.
Speaking to CBC, Wali said that three other former Canadian soldiers have also travelled with him to Ukraine. He reached Ukraine from Poland after meeting hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees crossing the opposite way.
Meanwhile, Wali and other veterans have taken shelter in an abandoned home, ahead of linking up with Ukrainian authorities.
Interestingly, nobody has seen this purported sniper soldier yet. Netizens speculated that the ‘Wali’ story could be another propaganda being peddled by the west-backed Ukraine government to show that they are still winning the war against the Russians.
So far, there is no evidence to prove the existence of the “Wali”, just as the “Ghost of Kyiv”.
