Harry potter, the Fellowship of the Ring, and Ukrainian snipers. What do they all have in common, besides fighting a tyrannical enemy hell bent on destruction? They all have invisibility cloaks of course.
Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, released video of the new cloaks on social media. The footage is from a drone equipped with a thermal imaging camera. There are three men standing in the video, but only two are readily visible. The third soldier, on the left portion of the video frame, is equipped with the new Brave 1 cloak. It weighs about 5.5 pounds and is protected against rain and excessive temperatures. The cloak soaks up heat, making its user vanish from thermal sensors.
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Fedorov called the cloaks another game changer for Kyiv.
“The cloak blocks the radiation of heat and makes fighters invisible to the enemy,” Fedorov said. “The invisibility cloak is just one of the developments that will help save the lives of our soldiers at the front. Now, we need even more.”
There are other invisibility products on the market. HyperStealth Biotechnology is a Canadian company that makes what it calls Quantum Stealth camouflage material. There are Russian-made cloaks that claim to offer thermal protection as well, but documentation on the product’s performance is a little lacking, like a lot of things in Russia these days.
Back in Ukraine, snipers are operating on both sides of the conflict. Although, the argument can be made Ukraine’s snipers are inflicting more damage than their Russian counterparts. The new cloaks will no doubt solidify that stance.
Ukrainian snipers carry out a variety of missions. Some primarily perform reconnaissance. Others are tasked with shooting any Russian they see. Still others are told to only take out high value targets like Russian officers.
The Russians rely on senior commanders and generals to direct military operations close to the frontlines, which also puts them within range of snipers. The Russian military command structure is still very top-down and officer centric. So, if an officer goes down, their troops may not know what to do next.
Ukraine’s Armed Forces used to have a similar command structure, but now follow the Western model which incorporates non-commissioned officers trained to take over command if necessary.
The exact number of Ukrainian snipers fighting in the war is classified, but it’s expected to be in the thousands. In addition to snipers, some of Ukraine’s special operations forces will also be sporting the new Brave 1 invisibility cloaks soon.
News of the cloaks comes at a good time in Ukraine’s counteroffensive, which is now in its fifth month. On Oct. 5, Ukraine announced its forces made gains in the eastern corridor of the counteroffensive, while holding off pressure from Russia in the north.
“The most difficult area is the Lyman-Kupiansk sector.” said Ilia Yevlash, a spokesperson with the Ukrainian Armed Forces. “The intensity of the assaults there has increased. The enemy has chosen a new point, Makiivka, and is directing all its main efforts in this direction. Of course, we are also repulsing enemy attacks and inflicting damage on forces and equipment.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
HARRY POTTER, THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, AND UKRAINIAN SNIPERS. WHAT DO THEY ALL HAVE IN COMMON, BESIDES FIGHTING A TYRANNICAL ENEMY HELL BENT ON DESTRUCTION? THEY ALL HAVE INVISIBILITY CLOAKS OF COURSE.
MYKHAILO FEDOROV, UKRAINE’S DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, RELEASED THIS VIDEO. THE FOOTAGE IS FROM A DRONE EQUIPPED WITH A THERMAL IMAGING CAMERA. THERE ARE THREE MEN STANDING IN THE VIDEO, BUT THE SOLDIER ON THE LEFT IS EQUIPPED WITH THE NEW BRAVE 1 CLOAK. IT WEIGHS ABOUT FIVE AND HALF POUNDS AND IS PROTECTED AGAINST RAIN AND EXCESSIVE TEMPERATURES. THE CLOAK SOAKS UP HEAT, MAKING ITS USER VANISH FROM THERMAL SENSORS.
THERE ARE OTHER INVISIBILITY PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET. HYPERSTEALTH IS A CANADIAN COMPANY THAT MAKES WHAT IT CALLS QUANTUM STEALTH CAMOUFLAGE MATERIAL. THERE ARE RUSSIAN-MADE CLOAKS THAT CLAIM TO OFFER THERMAL PROTECTION AS WELL, BUT DOCUMENTATION ON THE PRODUCT’S PERFORMANCE IS A LITTLE LACKING, LIKE A LOT OF THINGS IN RUSSIA THESE DAYS.
BACK IN UKRAINE, SNIPERS ARE OPERATING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CONFLICT. ALTHOUGH, THE ARGUMENT CAN BE MADE UKRAINE’S SNIPERS ARE INFLICTING MORE DAMAGE THAN THEIR RUSSIAN COUNTERPARTS. THE NEW CLOAKS WILL NO DOUBT SOLIDIFY THAT STANCE.
UKRAINIAN SNIPERS CARRY OUT A VARIETY OF MISSIONS. SOME PRIMARILY PERFORM RECONNAISSANCE. OTHERS ARE TASKED WITH SHOOTING ANY RUSSIAN THEY SEE. STILL OTHERS ARE TOLD TO ONLY TAKE OUT HIGH VALUE TARGETS LIKE RUSSIAN OFFICERS.
THE RUSSIANS RELY ON SENIOR COMMANDERS AND GENERALS TO DIRECT MILITARY OPERATIONS CLOSE TO THE FRONTLINES, WHICH ALSO PUTS THEM WITHIN RANGE OF SNIPERS.
THE RUSSIAN MILITARY COMMAND STRUCTURE IS STILL VERY TOP-DOWN AND OFFICER CENTRIC. SO, IF AN OFFICER GOES DOWN, THEIR TROOPS MAY NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO NEXT.
UKRAINE’S ARMED FORCES USED TO HAVE A SIMILAR COMMAND STRUCTURE, BUT NOW FOLLOW THE WESTERN MODEL WHICH INCORPORATES NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS WHO ARE TRAINED TO TAKE OVER COMMAND IF NECESSARY.
THE EXACT NUMBER OF UKRAINIAN SNIPERS FIGHTING IN THE WAR IS CLASSIFIED, BUT IT’S EXPECTED TO BE IN THE THOUSANDS. IN ADDITION TO SNIPERS, SOME OF UKRAINE’S SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES WILL ALSO BE SPORTING THE NEW BRAVE 1 INVISIBILITY CLOAKS SOON.
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