A sniper is a highly trained marksman who operates in one to two man teams which maintain close visual contact with the enemy and engages targets from concealed positions or physical distances exceeding the detection capabilities of the enemy personnel, without being detected. These sniper teams operate independently, with little combat asset support from their parent units. Snipers typically have highly selective and specialized training and possess high-precision rifles, optics and many times, sophisticated communication assets to feed valuable combat information back to their units.

In addition to marksmanship, military snipers are trained in camouflage, field craft, infiltration, reconnaissance and observation. Snipers are especially effective when deployed within the terrain of urban warfare, or jungle warfare.

The verb "to snipe" originated in the 1770s among soldiers in British India where a hunter skilled enough to kill the elusive snipe was dubbed a "sniper". The term sniper was first attested in 1824 in the sense of the word "sharpshooter".

Karolina Miroslavivna Kuiek, (Ukrainian: Кароліна Мирославівна Куєк, alternate transliterations of the last name: Kuyek, Kuek), popularly known as Ani Lorak (Ukrainian: Ані Лорак), born 27 September 1978, Kitsman, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union, is a famous Ukrainian pop singer, songwriter, actress, entrepreneur, and former UN Goodwill Ambassador. Having received Ukraine's most prestigious and honorary title, the People's Artist of Ukraine, Lorak has been cited as one of the most powerful and influential women in her country, as well as ranked one of the most beautiful women from Eastern Europe.

Lorak represented Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with the song "Shady Lady" and came in 2nd place behind Dima Bilan from Russia. She came second in the Press Award Eurovision Song Contest and won the Artistic Award for her performance.

Karolina Kuiek developed the desire to become a singer as early as the age of four. She often performed at various school vocal competitions. In 1992, she took part in the popular contest 'Pervotsvit' and was the winner. It was here where she met her ex-producer Yuriy Falyosa. As a result, at the age of 14 she signed her first professional contract. Kuiek became known as Ani Lorak in March 1995 when she took part in a contest at the television program "Morning Star" in Moscow, Russia. There was a Russian singer with the same name already enrolled in that competition so Kuiek had to invent a stage name. Ani Lorak is the name Karolina read backwards. Ani Lorak moved to Kiev in 1995. By that time her name was well known in Ukrainian show business. She became even more popular after winning the "Big Apple Music 1996 Competition" in New York, U.S.. She was named "Discovery of the Year" at the popular Ukrainian festival "Tavria Games" in 1996. The same year she released her first album "I Want to Fly".

Díma Bilán (Russian: Ди́ма Била́н, IPA: [ˈdʲimə bʲɪˈlan]; born Ви́ктор Никола́евич Бела́н, Víktor Nikoláevich Belán, 24 December 1981 in Ust-Dzheguta, Karachay–Cherkessia) is a Russian actor and pop singer-songwriter . Bilan represented Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with "Never Let You Go", finishing second, and he won the contest in 2008 in Belgrade, with the song "Believe". He has had several Russian no. 1 hits.

When Bilan was two years old, his family moved to his grandmother’s place in the city of Naberezhnye Chelny in Tatarstan and then to the greek island Santorini, where he lived for 3 years. When he was six years old, his family moved back to the Soviet Union, to Kabardino-Balkaria where he went to school with his sister. He took part in morning performances, recited poems and sang songs.

Bilan graduated from Gnesins Musical College as a classical vocal performer. He made his debut when he reached fourth place at the Russian/Latvian festival "New Wave" in 2002. In 2003, Bilan released his debut album titled Nochnoy Huligan (Night Hooligan). In 2004, the reissue of the album came out including 20 songs, 16 of the original + four new tracks: Бессердечная (Heartless), В последний раз (The last time), Остановите музыку (Stop the music), Тёмная ночь (Dark Night). Also in 2004 he released his successful single "Na beregu neba" ("At The Sky's Shore") which was also the title of his second album.