Russian military balloons were allegedly deployed in a raid on Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk area, according to the Ukrainian military.
The Ukrainian Air Force Command accused Russia of employing a specialized military balloon to interfere with the Ukrainian air defense system during the raid on the Dnipropetrovsk region in a statement issued on February 12.
“It is untrue what some Telegram social networking sites have claimed about the enemy employing a Shahed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the operation on the province of Dnipropetrovsk on the evening of February 12. In its place, the Russian army made extensive use of surveillance UAVs and military balloons with a variety of reflecting angles. The enemy’s UAVs were swiftly countered by Ukrainian air defense units. Clarifications regarding the ambush’s damage are urgently needed “According to the Ukrainian Air Force’s statement.
The announcement followed a warning from Ukrainian authorities about a significant airstrike in the nation’s northeast, which includes the provinces of Kharkov, Dnipropetrovsk, and Poltava.
Military specialists claim that the Russian military’s balloon has a wide range of reflection angles and the ability to interfere with the signal of the warning radar in Ukraine. This kind of balloon can also function as a drone to draw enemy air defence fire, protecting Russian missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) when attacking Ukraine.
The information has not yet been addressed by the Russian Defense Ministry.
The Russian military has used distraction strategies in the past to counter the Ukrainian air defence firing network.
The Kh-101 cruise missiles previously had numerous heat traps installed by Russia. The Russian military and many other nations use thermal decoy traps on fighter aircraft and helicopters to protect these assets from anti-aircraft missiles. These devices have a structure similar to conventional flares. by means of infrared transducers. Decoys will be fired when hostile missiles are found. These decoys’ extremely high heat will fool the missile probe, allowing the aircraft to safely depart.
Additionally, Russia frequently conducts cruise missile assaults in Ukraine while alternating between warheadless missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and multiple rocket launchers. These inexpensive weapons will spread out Ukraine’s air defence firepower, increasing the possibility that more potent cruise missiles will miss their target.
