The Russians Are Making Their Tanks Disappear In The Snow
But there's a flaw in the thermal camouflage
It’s one of the worst winters in memory in Ukraine, with temperatures routinely dropping below zero degrees Fahrenheit, or -20 Celsius.
And that’s one reason why more and more Russian tanks are wearing infrared invisibility cloaks. Photos and videos from the front line in Ukraine depict tanks blanketed in the Russians’ distinctive Nakidka Thermal Camouflage.
Sensing opportunity amid record-low temperatures, Russia “has initiated a strategy of total thermal terror” in Ukraine, according to Sergiy Makogon at the Center for European Policy Analysis. Russian drones and missiles now routinely target centralized heating systems in Ukrainian cities, rendering the cities uninhabitable for hundreds of thousands of people.
All along the 700-mile front line, Russian regiments have their own special winter tactics. The winter frequently brings thick fog to Ukraine. As the temperatures plummeted last fall, the Russians began timing their attacks to coincide with the foggiest days—hoping the fog would obscure their movements from Ukraine’s drones.
It worked until it didn’t. Iterating fast, the Ukrainians began fitting more drones with thermal cameras that can see heat and reflectivity right through the fog.
