Since being invaded by Russia, Ukraine has faced a significantly larger and better equipped army. As a way of reducing the handicap, billions of dollars in military aid have been sent by Western countries, but Kiev has also used unexpected tactics to undermine Moscow’s offensive.
In addition to MacGyver-style hacks to increase weapons capacity, a Washington Post report showed that Ukraine has used replica military equipment to force Moscow to spend its expensive cruise missiles on fictitious targets.
Based on an analysis of unpublished photographs of the replicas and interviews with Ukrainian and US officials, the report indicates that one of Kiev’s strategies has been to use equipment that resembles Himars systems – US-made precision missiles – as a decoy.
The copies would be made of wood, but indistinguishable from a real artillery battery for Russian drones, which identify targets and transmit the location to missile carriers at bases in the Black Sea. According to a top Ukrainian official, it is as if the Himar replicas are a VIP target for Russian systems.
The report claims that the Ukrainian baits attracted at least 10 cruise missiles after a few weeks in the field, which was considered a success, encouraging the production of more replicas.
Forcing Russian forces to waste their artillery is strategic for Ukraine. A missile used against a false target, for example, is one less weapon to be used against a Ukrainian city.
The use of decoys to deceive enemies is not recent in military history, both East and West. According to the report, the Russians call the disguise and deception tactics “maskirovka,” which has involved the acquisition of MiG-31 inflatable fighter jets and simulated S-300 missile systems.
In the past, Slobodan Milosevic’s Yugoslav forces used mock tanks and mock targets against NATO during the Kosovo conflict. During World War II, Allied powers used equipment and false signals to try to divert German forces before the Normandy invasion.
Decoy weapons are just a fraction of the unusual repertoire being applied by the Ukrainian Army. This week, a report in The New York Times showed that Kiev has achieved great successes in the war by making MacGyver-style hacks on weapons donated by allies.
Experts and officials from the US Department of Defense report that by mounting missiles on trucks, for example, Ukrainian forces moved them more quickly to the firing range. By placing rocket systems on speedboats, they increased their naval warfare capability.
The strategy adds to an increase in military aid from Western countries. Last Wednesday (24), the US released a new package of US$ 3 billion (R$ 15.3 billion) to mark the sixth month of war. Considering US contributions, not counting smaller aid from other countries, the packages are equivalent to three times Ukraine’s 2021 military budget.
The new supplies also support the start of Kiev’s counteroffensive in the south of the country. At the beginning of the conflict, the supply of personal anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles ensured the Ukrainian resistance.
There have been no significant changes on the front lines since June, which some attribute also to the start of the use of American precision artillery by Kiev. In recent weeks, Ukrainian forces have also shown signs of reaching a sophistication of offensive capability.
Explosions at an air base in Crimea, for example, would have wiped out half of the Russian Black Sea naval force’s fighter jets. Moscow accuses saboteurs of being behind the episodes and denies that any aircraft were damaged, despite satellite images showing at least eight warplanes completely burned.
