Russia's attempts to mask its ships in Black Sea are futile - UK intelligence
Russia will not be able to disguise ships in the Black Sea (Russian media)
The masking methods employed by Russian warships in the Black Sea are unlikely to yield significant results and reduce fleet losses, according to the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom.
According to the summary, the Russian military doctrine places high emphasis on the use of camouflage and deception techniques (often known as maskirovka) to enhance the survivability of Russian forces, as well as conceal their operational intent. The lack of effective application of masking was one of Russia's key operational failures in the early stages of the invasion of Ukraine.
According to British intelligence, Russian forces are likely making efforts to improve masking methods to mitigate heavy losses suffered over the past two years by both the Black Sea Fleet and Aerospace Forces.
At Russian airbases, masking includes the imitation of aircraft and tire models on aircraft wings. According to reports, silhouettes of gliders are also painted at nine Russian airbases. Ships of the Black Sea Fleet have black paint on the bow and stern, which presumably makes them less visible and less attractive targets. Silhouettes of vessels are also painted on the sides of docks, presumably to confuse Ukrainian drone operators, the statement said.
"Despite these attempts at concealment, Russian aircraft are still vulnerable to conventional shootdowns while in the air and Russian vessels are still vulnerable whilst on operations in the Black Sea. It is unlikely that the use of maskirovk (Russian for "masking" - Ed.) techniques will lead to any significant reduction in losses," the British Ministry of Defense writes.
Fleet destruction
Earlier, British intelligence reported that following a series of significant losses of Russian ships in the Black Sea on March 10, Navy Commander Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov was removed from his position and replaced by Northern Fleet commander, Admiral Aleksandr Moiseyev.
In February, Black Sea Fleet Commander Admiral Viktor Sokolov was retired due to losses.
Currently, the Russian military is seeking ways to preserve the fleet in the Black Sea. Ship operations are limited, and drone defense has been strengthened.
