Aerial reconnaissance reveals field production of wooden models of Russian equipment, which makes it difficult to identify targets from the air (photo)

By: Anry Sergeev | 06.05.2024, 12:36

The occupying Russian forces have deployed wooden models of Russian equipment within the range of Ukrainian reconnaissance UAVs. A photo from a reconnaissance drone was posted on his telegram channel by a well-known military expert on radio equipment, Sergei "Flash" Beskrestnov. The photo shows several military vehicles, many boards, and several models in various stages of completion, including a fully built wooden model of a military truck.

Many of them are very realistic, so it will be difficult for aerial reconnaissance.

Imitation of military equipment

Imitation of military equipment is not something new and has been used since the First World War. According to Wikipedia, "It is a type of military deception that involves the creation and use of dummies/models to divert enemy attention and forces to observe and attack false targets. Such products can mimic high value targets such as tanks, artillery, SAMs, aircraft, or conceal their true purpose by disguising one type of equipment as another. Defeating decoys can also lead to enemy misjudgements of their own success."

A well-known example is Operation Fortitude during World War II, when the Allies used mock-ups of tanks, aircraft and even simulated military bases to mislead Nazi Germany about the time and location of the Normandy landings. This operation included the creation of a fake army under General Patton, supposedly concentrated in South East England to invade the Pas de Calais, which prompted the Germans to redeploy their forces.


Inflatable prop tank modelled on the M4 Sherman, photo: Wikipedia

Sergey "Flash" Beskrestnov

Beskrestnov Serhii Oleksandrovych is a Ukrainian specialist and consultant in the field of military radio technologies (EW and REW). He studied at various European technical centres in the areas of radio relay and GSM mobile communications. He held senior positions at Ukrainian Radio Systems and Ukrainian Mobile Communications. He provides consultancy and training to various military units and law enforcement agencies of Ukraine. He is an entrepreneur and has created several online projects, including the innovative gameIsotopium: Chornobyl", where players controlled toy models in a specially created model of Chornobyl via the Internet in real time.

Source: Sergey Flesh's telegram channel