The command of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine called the Russian launches of balloons the “grandfather method”.
According to speaker Yuri Ignat, these are ordinary balloons filled with gas, 1-1.5 m in diameter. A corner reflector is attached to them on a cord – it actually reflects the signal and the radar station detects an object in the air.
Russia is using them as “decoys” — a cheap way to divert the attention of Ukrainian forces, disperse attention and waste the resources of the anti-aircraft missile forces, Ignat said.
The bullet itself does not threaten people, but as it is shot down by air defense forces, debris can fall to the ground. Bullets can be fired at the same time as drones, the Air Force warns.
The bullets move in the air stream and have recently flown into the territory of other countries. Moldova was forced to close the airspace – as explained in the air force, if the reflector hits the aircraft engine, a disaster could occur.
Recall that the nighttime missile attack on February 16 showed that the Russians are testing new tactics.
This attack was not accompanied by kamikaze drone raids. Apparently, they were replaced by reflector balloons that the Russians launched on February 15 to conduct reconnaissance.
12 missiles from the total salvo were Kh-22s, launched by six Tu-22M3s. These missiles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine cannot be intercepted by the available air defense systems. The Russians also changed the time of the attack, usually they delivered massive strikes in the morning or afternoon. In addition, it took the invaders less than a week to prepare and carry out a new attack after February 10, when 71 rockets were fired at Ukraine.
Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak wrote that the occupiers used fake targets.
In a comment to Babel, Air Force spokesman Yuri Ignat suggested that some of the missiles were without a warhead.
Source: Racurs
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