- Ukraine claims that Russian forces were tricked into attacking replicas of military targets.
- Air Force Commander Mykola Oreshchuk said Russia had attacked the models with Iskander-M missiles.
- The Iskander-M is a short-range ballistic missile with a range of 500 km (about 310 miles).
The Ukrainian military claims it tricked Russia into attacking mock aircraft and air defense systems with Iskander-M missiles.
Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleschuk described the subtle tactic in a Telegram post.
He released footage showing recent enemy attacks on mock-up Iskander-M aircraft at airfields near the city of Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine and the Yuzhne region near the Black Sea port of Odessa.
He said the footage was captured by a Russian drone.
“Air Force personnel successfully carried out passive defense measures!” Oleshchuk said in the post.
“We thank everyone for their cooperation in providing us with high-quality models of aircraft and air defense systems. The enemy will have fewer ‘Iskanders’ and we will deliver more models,” he added.
This is not the first time Ukraine has used “fake” military targets since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Photos and videos circulated on social media in February showed what appeared to be highly realistic fake radar and air defense systems.
In an update on the conflict in March, the UK Ministry of Defence said Russia has also adopted similar tactics in the war, painting silhouettes of naval vessels on land to try to deceive Ukraine.
Business Insider has reached out to the Ukrainian Air Force for comment.
Iskander-M missile
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Missile Defense Project, the Iskander-M is a Russian “road-mobile short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) with a range of up to 500 kilometers (about 310 miles).”
The missile, which has a maximum launch weight of about 8,900 pounds, was first used in combat by Russian forces against Georgia in 2008, according to the Missile Defense Project.
Moscow claims the missile will not be able to match Western rivals until 2025.
“According to the designers, the earliest a foreign equivalent will be able to be developed is 2025,” said Russian Ground Forces Commander-in-Chief Gen. Oleg Salyukov.
