Operation false target: New probe reveals Russia's plan to mix decoys with lethal new weapon in Ukraine
Published On : 2024-11-16T15:21:51+0530 [ IST ] |
Author : Mayur_Tembhare
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A Ukrainian officer examines a downed Shahed drone with thermobaric charge launched by Russia Thursday in a research laboratory in an undisclosed location in Ukraine.
According to Associated Press sources familiar with Russian production and Ukrainian drone experts this operation known as Operation False Target is designed to force Ukraine to use expensive air defense missiles on decoys, diverting resources from actual threats.
More than half of the drones targeting Ukraine are now unarmed decoys with up to 75% of new drones from Russia’s Alabuga factory — a high-tech plant in Tatarstan’s Alabuga Special Economic
The factory also produces armedShahed drones a variant equipped with thermobaric warheads. These warheads create intense explosions that generate high heat and pressure lethal enough to breach fortifications and cause severe injuries beyond the initial blast zone.
The thermobarics are particularly destructive when they strike buildings as they are loaded with ball bearings to maximize damage beyond the blast Beskrestnov specializes in using electronic jammers to counter drone attacks.
A Ukrainian officer callsign Raccoon shows a thermobaric charge of a downed Shahed drone launched by Russia Thursday in an undisclosed location in Ukraine.
Russia’s relentless drone campaign has intensified since the summer with Ukraine’s capital Kyiv enduring up to 20 hours of air alerts in early November. In October alone at least 1,889 drones targeted Ukraine an 80% increase from August
While most drones are neutralized either by electronic jamming or traditional defenses the high volume of attacks means a small fraction still reach their targets with potentially deadly consequences.
The Alabuga factory originally launched in 2006 to encourage industrial growth in Tatarstan has pivoted to military production since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. "Its current purpose is purely to produce and sell drones to Russia's Ministry of
Unarmed decoys offer significant military advantages for Russia at a fraction of the cost of an armed Shahed drone estimated at $50,000. One decoy equipped with a live-feed camera can locate Ukrainian air defenses and transmit this information to Russian operators before being shot down
Following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 Iran began supplying these unmanned vehicles to Russia which eventually led to the establishment of a domestic production line at Alabuga. Since then Russian technicians have engineered thermobaric adaptations to amplify the drones' lethality
For Ukrainians the drone swarms represent a persistent threat with the drones' distinctive buzzing sound and subsequent air defense responses becoming a grim daily reality.
Source : Reporters From Sunrise Chronicles
Tags : Unarmed , According , ukrainefactory also produces armedshahed drones , Operation False Target , Institute , Science , Recent , For Ukrainians , Following , Alabuga Special Economic Zone ,
Summary :
A Ukrainian officer examines a downed Shahed drone with thermobaric charge launched by Russia Thursday in a research laboratory in an undisclosed location in Ukraine.
According to Associated
