Russia is known to paint what are supposed to be fighter jets on the ground at air bases to confuse the enemy.
The hope is that Ukraine will be uncertain about the number of aircraft Russia has in its arsenal and that attacks will hit the drawings rather than the aircraft.
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According to the UK Ministry of Defence, British intelligence has identified the phenomenon at at least twelve Russian air bases, including the Kirovskoe base on the occupied Crimean peninsula.
From the air you can be deceived. However, the Russians have a problem:
Landing on the drawings
– Russian helicopters still regularly land on the painted decoys, which completely undermines the hoax, writes the British Ministry of Defense in an intelligence update on https://twitter.com/DefenceHQ/status/1775094054444785745/photo/3
In a photo shared by the ministry, a Russian helicopter can be seen parked at the Kirovskoe base on the Crimean Peninsula. Below the helicopter you can see a painted fighter plane of the Sukhoi Su-30 type.
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– This also reveals the true size of the air forces at these air bases, which Russia is probably trying to hide from Ukrainian intelligence, it says further.
Watch video: Here they run for their lives
Has lost several military aircraft
So far in 2024, the Russian war machine has lost several aircraft to combat and accidents. Surveillance aircraft of the Berjev A-50 type were claimed shot down by Ukraine in both January and February.
An Ilyushin Il-22 command plane over the Sea of Azov was also reported shot down over the Sea of Azov at the start of the year.
Transport aircraft and several combat aircraft of the types Sukhoi Su-34 and Su-35 have also gone down.
