Published on: 2026-07-30
Source: Government of the Russian Federation –
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This was reported in Yakutsk by Yuri Trutnev, Deputy Chairman of the Government and plenipotentiary representative of the President in the Far Eastern Federal District, following the meeting of the organizing committee for the fourth long-distance shooting tournament in memory of Hero of the Soviet Union Fyodor Matveevich Okhlopkov.
“The tournament will become international. So far, four countries have already registered. If colleagues confirm their applications, we will, of course, invite them. At the meeting, they discussed how to ensure the tournament meets international status and how to prepare properly – both for our fighters and athletes, and for our guests,” said Yuri Trutnev.
The fourth annual high-precision shooting tournament in the discipline of “combat sniping” named after Hero of the Soviet Union F.M. Okhlopkov will take place in October 2026. The competition will be held as a championship consisting of a sniper pair, one member of which is the shooter, and the other is the observer-corrector. Admission to the competition is allowed only after passing a mandatory qualification (qualification target – 40 cm, ammunition expenditure – 2 rounds).
Also, following the meeting, a decision was made to hold a small tournament for teenagers aged 16–18. “Unlike the large tournament, which is individual, the small tournament will be team-based. Regions will compete. We will ask the leaders of the ‘Warrior’ center, and where there are no branches of the ‘Warrior’ center, the regional heads to prepare combined teams. For now, we estimate that the team size will be three people. And to bring the boys to compete using .22 LR caliber small-caliber rifles. I think this will be interesting and important from the point of view of the further training of the boys,” noted Yuri Trutnev.
On the same day, Yuri Trutnev visited the Sulus (Zvezda) training and shooting center and also familiarized himself with the training camps “Start to the Peaks” at the Yakutsk Cadet Boarding School.
“Branches of the ‘Warrior’ center, the cadet boarding school we just visited, are the building blocks for the future. The future of Russia depends on how we raise our children, how much they will love our country, be ready to defend it, and how well prepared they will be. I consider the work of patriotic education very important and in every trip I try to visit branches of the ‘Warrior’ center or other organizations that are engaged in patriotic education. We see how the boys change during their training. They are taught by instructors who have undergone combat training, who do not just call to defend the Motherland but know how to defend it,” said Yuri Trutnev.
The first inspection point was the training and shooting center “Sulus,” established on the initiative of Yuri Trutnev. It is one of the few ranges in the country where shooting distances up to 3,800 meters are available. Since 2023, the center has been a training ground for sharpshooters, with training shoots at long distances held twice a week for all interested athletes, offering target settings free of charge. During its operation, the center has hosted 5,379 people, including over 1,500 since the beginning of 2026.
In addition to professional shooters, the training ground provides an opportunity for the younger generation to practice their skills. The range is visited by schoolchildren from the military-sports camp “Warrior” of the Namsky ulus and students of the summer camp of the Yakut Cadet Boarding School.
Yury Trutnev and the head of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Aisen Nikolaev, also visited the training camp “Start to the Peaks,” which is held at the Yakutsk Cadet Boarding School. In 2026, the project is being implemented in three shifts for students of secondary vocational and higher education institutions.
The program is aimed at the patriotic and spiritual-moral education of youth, fostering readiness to defend the Fatherland, and acquiring in-demand practical skills. The total training duration is 92 academic hours, most of which are devoted to studying unmanned aerial vehicles. Additionally, participants undergo basic military training, learn the fundamentals of tactical medicine, and psychological resilience.
This year, the organizers significantly expanded the format of the training camp. Instead of the traditional five days, students undergo a ten-day program that allows them to gain a deeper understanding of the subject “Fundamentals of Security and Homeland Defense.” The mentors are instructors from the Center for Advanced Professional Training and the branch of the “Warrior” center, who have practical experience participating in the special military operation.
More than 180 students from colleges and technical schools of Yakutsk, Zhatay, Neryungri, Mirny, Aldan, and Lensky districts participated in the training camp. Future doctors, engineers, programmers, and representatives of working professions are mastering the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles and undergoing military field training.
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