Russian forces employ cloaking techniques to evade Ukrainian strikes, says UK intelligence

The UK Ministry of Defense released this information in a report.

The report highlighted the significant attention that Russian military doctrine devotes to camouflage and deception tactics to enhance force survivability and obscure operational intentions. The initial stages of Russia's invasion revealed shortcomings in its effective use of camouflage.

According to the report, the Russian Armed Forces are likely intensifying efforts to develop and enhance cloaking techniques to mitigate the substantial losses suffered by the Black Sea Fleet and Air and Space Forces over the past two years.

In Russian air bases, camouflage measures include aircraft mock-ups and tire installations on aircraft wings. Additionally, glider silhouettes are painted on nine Russian airbases. The Black Sea Fleet's ships are painted black on the bow and stern to reduce visibility and create the illusion of smaller warships.

However, despite these concealment efforts, Russian aircraft remain susceptible to conventional air defense measures, and Russian ships operating in the Black Sea are still vulnerable. British intelligence emphasizes that the use of cloaking techniques is unlikely to significantly reduce casualties.

• During the night of Tuesday, March 5, Ukrainian forces, aided by naval drones, targeted and destroyed the Russian Navy patrol ship Sergei Kotov in the temporarily occupied Crimea, resulting in casualties among the crew.