Due to optical simulation, radars cannot distinguish thermobaric drones from empty ones. This forces the Ukrainian air defense to respond to everything without missing one.
A Russian plant in Tatarstan has begun producing drones with thermobaric ammunition capable of penetrating thick walls and hitting targets in fortified buildings or underground. The Associated Press writes about it.
It was noted that these deadly weapons were used in conjunction with decoy drones launched to overload Ukrainian air defense systems during the attack.
The Russian Federation’s operation, called “False Target,” began to take shape at the end of 2022, said a source familiar with Russian production. According to him, the essence of the operation is the launch of attack drones with dozens of “decoys” filled with rags or foam, which look like real ammunition on the radar. This strategy forces the Ukrainian military to quickly decide how to allocate limited resources to protect people and critical infrastructure.
Thermobaric, or “vacuum”, bullets create an explosion of great force, resulting in enormous pressure and temperatures reaching 3000 degrees. In terms of their power, large-caliber thermobaric bullets are comparable to tactical nuclear charges, but have no radiation effect. The shock wave was so strong that the victims were found with ruptured lungs, damaged eyes and brain injuries beyond the epicenter of the explosion.
Ukrainian specialist Sergei Bezkhrestnov noted that the Russian army first used thermobaric drones in the summer. According to his estimates, they now make up 3-5% of all Russian drones.
“This type of warhead can destroy an entire apartment building and is very dangerous for power plants in Ukraine,” he explained.
International humanitarian law expert Arthur van Coller from South Africa said thermobaric drones have a fearsome reputation because of their ability to destroy anything within their blast radius.
The drones, along with the decoys, are manufactured in a factory in the Alabuga special economic zone. The pipeline was launched earlier this year. The plant currently produces around 40 decoy and 10 attack drones daily.
An attack drone costs $50 thousand and consists of Chinese and Western parts.
Due to optical simulation, radars cannot distinguish thermobaric drones from empty ones. This forces the Ukrainian air defense to respond to everything without missing one, as decoys with cameras can detect the location of Ukrainian air defense systems.
Let’s remember, especially, that on Saturday night, the Ukrainian air defense shot down 53 Russian attack drones in 11 regions.
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.