The Times: UK sends Ukraine “Ikea-style” flat-packed decoys to mislead Russians

The British military is sending flat-packed decoys that look like air defense systems and tanks to Ukraine in a bid to deceive Russian forces. According to The Times, the aim is to trick Russia into wasting expensive weaponry on targets that appear real but are, in fact, lifelike cut-outs.

RAF Squadron Leader Lowri Simner, unveiling the UK-developed Raven air defense system, explained:

“We haven’t gifted a huge amount of these, so anything we can do to make the quantities look greater on the front line is advantageous to us.”

Digital images of actual UK-supplied gear are printed on materials, shipped to Kyiv, and assembled within hours. These decoys are then deployed on the battlefield. Colonel Olly Todd, Royal Marine and military procurement lead for Taskforce Kindred, said their 20-member team created models of scarce UK equipment like Challenger 2 tanks and AS-90 artillery.

“They look just like the real thing. You could be quite easily fooled,” Todd noted. For each actual vehicle sent to Ukraine, as many as 30 decoys accompany it, appearing realistic from as close as 25 meters. “Decoys are fundamental on the battlefield,” Todd emphasized.

The Times says that in the coming weeks, the newest version of the Raven air defense system will be deployed to Ukraine’s front lines, accompanied by a set of low-cost decoys—including fake missiles equipped with heat emitters designed to closely mimic the real system.

Ukraine’s deputy defense minister, Kateryna Chernohorenko, confirmed that Russia is also using decoys, including drones in its daily air attacks that contain minimal explosives. Ukrainian forces are still forced to shoot them down, expending resources.

US Army General James Rainey warned during a speech at the Royal United Services Institute that future wars will involve “constant observation,” highlighting how advanced surveillance has challenged traditional battlefield concealment.