The Russian deceptive drawings of the TU-95 aircraft at Engels Air Force Base were taken by the US satellite company Planet Labs and came after videos went viral on Sunday about a Ukrainian drone strike on a helicopter base in the Russian city of Sochi, which successfully targeted the base's parking lot, according to Ukrainian media.

What is the Tu-95 trick and Abrams destruction plan?

According to the Arab Defense and Armament website, the camouflage aircraft at the Russian Engels Air Base, according to the Arab Defense and Armament website, for the Tu-95 strategic bombers were taken by the satellite company on September 29, where these images show two aircraft that look realistic, painted with paint on the floor of the airport yard at the air base, as the two planes appear:

  • • One of them has frames to make the trick more realistic.
  • Russia has begun putting tires on Tu-95MS planes in Engels in the hope that it will protect them from Ukrainian suicide drones.
  • • The target may be a Russian attempt to deceive Ukrainian satellites.

What about the plan to destroy Abrams?

As for the plan to destroy the US Abrams tank, it contained specific instructions on the selection of targets and weapons, such as the Kornet guided and anti-tank missile, as well as the exploitation of potential weaknesses.

According to the American "Army Compensation" website, which specializes in military affairs, Russia, following the White House's decision to provide Ukraine with these main battle tanks, vowed to destroy them like other Western weapons on the Ukrainian front.

In this regard, the Russian agency "TASS" quoted retired Russian Colonel Sergei Suvorov as saying that the destruction of those tanks was already carried out during clashes with Russian "T-72" tanks and anti-tank grenade launchers "RPG-7".

The weaknesses, according to the Russian expert, of the American tank lie in the following:

  • The open power plant behind the chassis is vulnerable even to the fire of 12.7mm Dushka machine guns.
  • Direct collision with the tank, and Suvorov in the current ones is recommended to hit the gap under the cannon between the hull and the turret, which is less safe than the rest of the tank turret.
  • During frontal attacks, Kornet anti-tank guided missiles must be used.
  • The front lower part of the tank bombarded is useless because it is well protected.
  • Targeting the fuel tank on both sides of the driver's cabin to ignite fuel and cause an engine fire and possibly explode.
  • Targeting the engine compartment or munitions container during attacks from behind is the best way to destroy Abrams, according to Sergey Suvorov.

Legitimate tactics

Russian military expert Alexei Leonkov told Sky News Arabia that Russian tricks, even if satellite images are proven to be correct, are legitimate tactics during the war, and armies resort to any tricks to avoid the losses of their forces or military equipment, and Ukraine resorted to cartoon marches to deceive Russian forces, as they are launched amid real marches to distract the Russian army from the actual rotors that carry out combat missions.

  • Phishing charges at Russian air bases are preemptive and likely to distract drone operators and prevent the bombing of real Russian fighters stationed at air bases.
  • The tactics and methods of war are legitimate, and the Ukrainian side and its successor NATO use many tactics to distract Russian forces.
  • The means of protecting the Russian tanks "Abrams" are simple and the Russian army is able to cope with them in every way.
  • Abrams' weaknesses are many and did not prove very effective during the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and any attempt to deal with its engine that violates its manufacture makes it vulnerable to explosion.
  • The American tank has another serious drawback that lies in the expensive maintenance methods and specialists unlike other tanks.