Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts – Arakcheyev Fortress mission and challenges guide

Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts features five massive levels. The penultimate level is the Arakcheyev Fortress map which is set on an island in Siberia. You’re going up against a doctor and her assistant in an attempt to stop their eugenics program. Our guide helps you with the main objectives throughout the Arakcheyev Fortress mission — the so-called “contracts” in Contracts — as well as additional challenges for those challenge tokens. Oh, and if you do need some extra cash, there’s also a “cheese” in this level, even if it’s a bit late into the game.

Note: For all the other missions and various info, check out our Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts guides and features hub. Anyway, take a look at the Arakcheyev Fortress map below:

Arakcheyev Fortress – Contracts

Arakcheyev Fortress is similar to the Altai Mountains and Kolchak Harbor missions. It’s freezing here, so don’t go skinny dipping. The challenge objectives here are quite easy though. But, before we talk about challenges, let’s take a look at the contract objectives first.

Obtain evidence of genetic experimentation

You can skip the spawn area if you want and just take a quick route via fast traveling. You’ll find a military base right in front of you.

It’s teeming with soldiers as per usual, so give them a headache.

There are paths off to the side which let you avoid confrontations if need be. Anyway, you’ll spot Arakcheyev Fortress’ first objective inside the main building.

Eliminate Nikita Zaytsev

Zaytsev is located in another military base with a giant radar tower. Tagging will only be temporary here due to a jamming device.

You’re planning to assassinate doctors here, remember? So, if you do spot some snipers, go prescribe them some Ibuprofen made of lead.

Again, don’t go through the front door with guns blazing. You can stick to the side path, watching out for mines and turrets until you reach the helipad.

The main building here is where Zaytsev is hiding. Introduce yourself as his distant relative and that your first name is Vasily.

Steal pen drive from Nikita Zaytsev

Examining Zaytsev’s corpse will yield the pen drive. The Handler will also tell you about a clue pertaining to Dr. Alikhanova.

Find proof of program casualties

There’s a depot in the middle of a frozen lake and it’s got a dozen soldiers. While you can eliminate snipers that are perched off to the side, killing anyone in the depot will send out an alert.

It’s best to sneak in by swimming past the lake, crouch-walking around the depot, and crawling underneath the trucks.

Make your way behind the small building and silently eliminate anyone who gets in your way. You’ll spot the objective near where soldiers are loading some crates. Time your movement right so that they’ve got their backs turned as you make a grab for it.

Eliminate Anastasia Alikhanova

Arakcheyev Fortress’ fifth objective is quite fun. You should get a checkpoint once you reach the cliffside overlooking Arakcheyev Fortress.

Dr. Alikhanova is the researcher responsible for genetic experiments, and she’s also accompanied by a body double. The body double has a killswitch that alerts the real doctor if she’s killed. The real one would run off to hide inside the fortress.

If you didn’t complete the Zaytsev objectives, or if you’re just here for the easy money cheese, the game’s script that lets you know who the real Alikhanova is won’t fire. The first one that you kill will always be the body double, and the other one will always make a break for it.

But, if you did get the clue from Zaytsev, you’ll find out that the real Alikhanova is a smoker. The moment you tag both women using your binoculars and you hear the dialogue between your character and the Handler, a script will fire and the Alikhanovas will split up in different directions.

Anyway, use the zipline to make your way to the fortress and head through the crawlspace to see the open area. The one who heads to the left will eventually start smoking.

Take her out and you’ll complete one of the game’s challenges. Alternatively, if you stayed at your sniper’s perch, you could just shoot both of them making sure to get direct hits. This won’t complete the challenge though because, again, the first one you kill will always be the body double.

Destroy genetics program data

After you’ve eliminated the real Alikhanova, make your way inside the fortress. The main gateway’s locked, but you can use the crates and construction beams to enter the ventilation shaft.

Inside, you’ll find a terminal with the data. Make sure to take out the soldiers if they’re close by.

Make your way out of the fortress and head to the eastern sniper tower. You’ll find a zipline here which, funnily enough, leads to another sniper tower.

Avoid the enemies or mow them down with reckless abandon, it’s up to you. Enter the cavern and watch out for the mines so you can successfully exfiltrate Arakcheyev Fortress.

Arakcheyev Fortress – Challenges

Perform sync shots together with the sniper turret

All you need to do is unlock the sniper turret gadget prior to starting the mission. Equip it via your loadout menu.

Use your binoculars to tag (“H” key) a couple of soldiers near the spawn point. Then, switch to your sniper rifle. When you’re ready, take a shot and press “G” to fire your turret as well.

Blind enemies

This can also be done near the spawn point. You’ve got almost a dozen enemies here, and some will be coming down from the cliffside as well. Just chuck one flashbang to add to your tally. Bring some extra flashbang grenades with you to blind more hostiles as you go through the Arakcheyev Fortress mission.

Kill enemies with one explosion

This can be done near the spawn point once more, or, alternatively, in the depot where you found objective #4. Ideally, you’ll want to use a luring stone or luring bullet if enemies aren’t tightly packed together. Then, throw a frag grenade or fire an explosive shot using your heavy sniper rifle.

Find and kill only the real Alikhanova

This challenge was mentioned above already. Again, complete the Zaytsev objectives first. Then, reach the fortress, tag the Alikhanovas, and follow the one who goes to the left until she starts smoking. Give her your own “lucky strike.”

Kill Zaytsev and the real Alikhanova within eight minutes

I’m guessing this is bugged (in a good way). The goal is to kill Zaytsev and rush to Arakcheyev Fortress to find and kill the real Alikhanova. I was able to complete this even though it took me longer than eight minutes, although reloading checkpoints might’ve reset the hidden timer.

You don’t need to follow the real Alikhanova around the helipad just to see if she’s popping a cigarette. You can snipe both of them from further away. Oh, here’s a tandem kill of both Alikhanovas using the sniper turret.

Complete all contracts without loading checkpoints

Speaking of checkpoints, this one’s self-explanatory. Just do all the main objectives in Arakcheyev Fortress is one go. No reloading or retrying.

That does it for our Arakcheyev Fortress map and mission guide. Head over to our guide for the next level, Siburskaya-7 Junction.

Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts is available on Steam. For more information, check out our guides and features hub.