UK supplies Ukraine with models of military equipment to confuse Russians
The UK is supplying Ukraine with decoy mock-ups of military equipment to mislead Russian troops about the actual number of weapons and force them to spend ammunition on false targets.
Here's What We Know
According to The Times, these decoys mimic Challenger 2 main battle tanks and AS-90 self-propelled artillery systems, which the UK has provided to Ukraine as part of its military aid. The main purpose of such mock-ups is not only to mislead, but also to provoke the enemy to spend resources on destroying fake equipment.
The Challenger 2 main battle tank. Illustration: Wikipedia
The production of such decoys begins with the creation of digital photographs of real combat vehicles, which are then printed on lightweight materials. The disassembled models are shipped to Ukraine, where they are quickly assembled and deployed on the front line.
Colonel Ollie Todd, procurement officer for Task Force Kindred, said the UK can supply up to 30 of these models for every five real vehicles.
"They look exactly like the real thing. It's quite easy to be fooled," Todd said, adding that even from a distance of 25 metres, it is difficult to distinguish between the dummy and the real weapon.
RAF Squadron Leader Lowry Simner stressed the strategic importance of such actions, as it creates the impression of more equipment on the battlefield, making it much more difficult for Russian forces to plan attacks and allocate resources.
Source: The Times
