Russia's war deception: painted airplane illusions discovered on another military base

In warfare, strategies are not only devised to inflict maximum damage on the enemy but also to minimize one's own losses. This explains the presence of intricate techniques to deceive the enemy. The Russians have resumed this intriguing tactical deception in their bases near the Ukrainian border.

Brady Africk shared news of this discovery on his profile on platform X (formerly known as Twitter), where he works on map and satellite image analysis for the American Enterprise Institute. He discovered these unusual paintings at a base in Primorsko-Akhtarsk, situated on the coast of the Sea of Azov. The latest satellite photos have illuminated this information.

This isn't the first time the Russian military has resorted to such deceptive tactics. Africa noted that similar operations have been ongoing for multiple months. A comparable tactic was observed at the airbase in Yeysk back in July.

So, why would the Russians craft such deceptive artworks of airplanes? The answer is simple: to induce confusion amongst the Ukrainians. Due to less precise camera and satellite photo capabilities, which require time to update, such decoys can help to ensure artillery salvos miss critical targets for the Russian Air Force.

If the imitation aircraft are cleverly painted and presented alongside a real plane, distinguishing between real and fake becomes significantly challenging. Particularly considering satellite imagery typically offers a top-down perspective, making it hard to discern depth.

Russians are not alone in using this stratagem - this is a reasonably standard maneuver designed to compel the enemy to expend more munitions than necessary during an attack. The Ukrainians have also adopted this method, making its usage by the Russians unsurprising.