Russia claims Ukrainian 'invisibility cloaks' driving Kursk advances

The Russians are trying to explain the current situation in the Kursk region in various ways. One of the latest theories, spread by their propaganda, claims that Ukrainians have received uniforms from the West that make soldiers invisible. According to the Military Portal, the Russians believe this is part of an international conspiracy.

One of the latest explanations for Ukrainian advances in the Kursk region focuses on the uniforms used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Russian propaganda reports that these uniforms were supplied as part of an international conspiracy and can make soldiers invisible, both during the day and at night. However, this explanation lacks credibility, as considerable equipment has also been transported to the Kursk region, which is hard to overlook.

Lt. Col. (Res.) Maciej Korowaj, a military intelligence officer, pointed out on platform X that at night, sounds travel many miles, so the sounds of Ukrainian engines on the night preceding the operation from August 5 to 6, 2024, were distinctly audible in the Sumy district. Even if the Ukrainians were using special camouflage for their soldiers and equipment, their presence near the borders of Russia, and subsequently on its territory, would be difficult to conceal.

The military industry has long produced materials designed to camouflage military equipment or reduce the visibility of those wearing it. The primary function of these solutions is to bend light around an object covered with the material. These materials do not reflect visible, ultraviolet, infrared, or shortwave light, making them excellent camouflage. Additionally, they reduce the thermal signature, complicating night vision and remote sensing operations for the enemy.

At the end of 2023, Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's Minister of Digital Transformation, presented the Ukrainian "invisibility cloak" on Telegram's social media platform. The cloak-like solution was intended to help Ukrainian soldiers hide from Russian thermal cameras, especially drones equipped with such cameras. Fedorov explained that the "invisibility cloak" weighs no more than 6 lbs, is lightweight, provides protection against rain, snow, and high temperatures, and is made of non-flammable material.

Similar solutions are being developed in Poland. Among them is a camouflage net being developed in Poznan, which WP Tech journalist Norbert Garbarek had a chance to test. He tested a set consisting of a thermal cape with an attached hood and an overlay camouflage net. Its primary function is to block thermal radiation. As Garbarek explained, the temperature generated by the soldier hiding under the cape is dispersed and reflected back to the source, preventing the heat from escaping beyond the INVISI-TEC IR and revealing the person's position.