Russian decoy mannequins: The new battlefield deception
The recording shared by Russian channels on Telegram shows mannequins lined up in uniforms. It is part of a larger Kremlin strategy. According to The Telegraph portal, these "dummy soldiers" are designed to be lures.
Videos shared online depict mannequins dressed in military uniforms, arranged near tyres in a wooded area. One is even holding a weapon.
Drone decoys
There are suspicions that Russians aim to confuse Ukrainian FPV (First Person View) drones in this manner.
Keir Giles, a Russia expert from the Chatham House think tank, noted that the decoys align with "the trend of war becoming so much more personalised." Drones are now more frequently targeting individual soldiers, with both Ukrainians and Russians sharing footage of these attacks.
Russians often pretend to be dead when spotting a Ukrainian FPV drone overhead.
"The mannequins may be an effective way to sow doubt in the minds of drone operators as to whether they are attacking the correct target," added Giles.
As reported by The Telegraph, Russia's war in Ukraine has become a proving ground for the most sophisticated military technology. FPV drones can closely approach their targets, offering operators an unprecedented view of the objective.
Drones have revolutionised combat
The use of decoys in warfare is not a new tactic. Russians have employed this strategy from the outset. In October 2023, soldiers painted aircraft on the tarmac at the Engels air base in Saratov Oblast. This was intended to deceive Ukrainian drones, making them strike the painted aircraft rather than the real ones.
A few days ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky awarded a medal to a 25-year-old drone operator credited with killing as many as 400 Russians.
