The Russian military deployed the balloons as a decoy to exhaust and distract Ukrainian air defenses
At least one was shot down and photos of its wreckage were shared by Ukrainian sources.
The balloon carried a basic
radar reflector consisting of intersecting square pieces of wood covered with what appears to be tin foil.
A missile barrage ensued A day after the radar reflector balloons were deployed, a large-scale Russian missile attack struck several high-profile targets in various parts of Ukraine.Ukrainian Air Force spokesman
Yuriy Ignat said the Russian military deployed the balloons as a decoy to exhaust and distract Ukrainian air defenses.
For its part, the Kyiv city administration said some of the balloons were carrying.
reconnaissance equipment used by the Russian military to detect and recognize Ukrainian air defenses.
This has yet to be confirmed.
Russian decoys The Russian military has been using a variety of aerial decoys, including aerial targets and old cruise missiles, to test Ukrainian air defenses since the beginning of its special operation in the country.However, this was the first documented use of radar reflector balloons.
In recent months, Ukraine has received several Western air defense systems from its allies.
However, its airspace is still completely open to Russian aircraft, drones and missiles.
Balloons with radar reflectors would allow the Russian military to exhaust, distract, and potentially detect Ukrainian air defenses at minimal cost. Several such decoys were reportedly used in the large-scale missile attack that targeted several regions of Ukraine on February 10, 2023. The use of these balloons will likely continue on a massive scale.
Kh-55But it’s not just the balloons.The Russian military also uses Soviet-made Kh-55 cruise missiles that have been converted into decoys to wear out and test Ukrainian air defenses. The decoys are built on an old version of the Kh-55 from the 1980s and have a range of up to 2,500 km. The active warhead of the cruise missile was replaced with an inert one designed for use in tests and exercises. On February 11, a photo showing a Kh-55 decoy shot down by Ukrainian air defenses during the large-scale attack surfaced online. The bait
The decoy carried the KTS-120-12 inert head unit.
The use of Kh-55 decoys by the Russian military was first reported in November 2022.
Since then, several such decoys have been shot down by Ukrainian air defenses.The Russian military has been using various types of aerial decoys to exhaust and test Ukrainian air defenses since the start of the special operation in the country in 2022, the South Front website reports.
Large numbers of Kh-55sIn recent months, Ukraine has received several Western-made air defense, radar and electronic warfare systems from its allies.Despite this, the Russian military maintains air superiority.
Russia inherited a large number of Kh-55 cruise missiles from the Soviet Union.
Many of these missiles have already reached the end of their service life.
Because of this, turning them into decoys for use in the special military operation in Ukraine is a resourceful decision.
Source: Banking News
