**Desperate Measures: Russian Forces Resort to Using Trash Bags to Evade Ukrainian Drones**
In a bizarre attempt to evade advanced reconnaissance technology, Russian forces near Lyman in the Donetsk Oblast have been caught using trash bags as makeshift camouflage. The move is a testament to their growing desperation in the face of Ukraine’s expanding network of thermal drones.
The goal of the Russian forces remains unchanged: to take control of the town of Lyman and eliminate Ukrainian control east of the Donets and Oskil rivers, paving the way for larger future operations in taking the Donbas. However, their efforts have been consistently thwarted by Ukraine’s use of advanced technology.
**Russian Forces Struggle to Adapt**
On the northern flank, Russian forces are trying to expand their foothold over the Zherebets River, while in the south, they’re stuck in the Serebryanski forest due to a tight network of Ukrainian bunkers. However, it’s on the central front that the 60th mechanized brigade has held the line for two years, with Russian forces desperately trying to break through and launch a direct advance on Lyman.
To counter this, Ukrainian forces have employed remote mining to scatter landmines along Russian avenues of attack, disrupting their logistics and complicating their mechanized assaults. Additionally, elite infantry assault units combined with drone reconnaissance allow the Ukrainians to detect and eliminate Russian forces in fortified trench networks.
**Thermal Imaging Drones Give Ukraine an Edge**
The use of drones equipped with infrared and thermal cameras has proven a game-changer for Ukraine. These thermal imaging drones can detect Russian troop movements even through forest cover and natural concealment, giving them a significant advantage in reconnaissance. This is especially effective at night, when conventional Russian concealment methods become less effective.
Despite the Russians’ attempts to use suits and blankets to camouflage their heat signatures, Ukrainian drones have demonstrated the ability to identify and target such concealed soldiers regardless. While thermal cloaks can reduce the heat signature of Russian soldiers, the silhouette of the cold spots often remains visible, allowing for detection if Ukrainians can spot these dark spots in time.
**Trash Bags Become a Recipe for Disaster**
As most Russian units do not have thermal cloaks, they’ve had to get creative with their concealment strategies. In a bizarre attempt to evade Ukrainian drones, some Russian soldiers took to wearing simple trash bags as camouflage. However, this move was destined for disaster. The scattered trash used by soldiers on both sides of the frontline made trash bags a common sight, but human-sized trash bags walking and stopping out in the open were less common – and immediately triggered red flags for Ukrainian drone operators.
**Ukrainian Drones Catch Russian Forces Off Guard**
The detection and subsequent destruction of these two soldiers alerted Ukrainians to the fact that Russians might launch further assaults in the area. As Ukrainian drones took to the skies, they easily detected the virtually blind Russian soldiers running around, hiding under plastic coverings. Deaf to the Ukrainian drones hanging above them, they were easy targets for drone-dropped grenades.
**Consequences of Desperate Measures**
The 60th mechanized brigade ultimately detected and destroyed 14 Russian trash bag-wearing soldiers in the fields and tree lines, as another Russian ploy had failed. The Ukrainians’ use of drones with thermal imaging has forced Russian soldiers to resort to the most desperate measures, using trash bags in attempts to cross the grey zone unnoticed.
However, their concealment attempt quickly turned into a disaster as the Ukrainians found the walking trash bags suspicious and hunted them down, alerting them to other assault groups moving in. With the 60th mechanized brigade continuing to strongly hold the line, Russians are being forced to continue their assaults in areas with either overstretched supply lines or hidden Ukrainian bunkers throughout the forest.
**Stay Informed: Frontline Report from Reporting from Ukraine**
In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger “Reporting from Ukraine” to keep you informed about what’s happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war. Stay tuned for more updates and analysis from the frontlines.
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