On the morning of July 9, Ukrainian strategic strike drones known as “Bober” (Beaver) were spotted over Russia’s Astrakhan region.
The drones, painted black, reportedly targeted a military training ground and an airfield in the area.
The incident was first reported by the Ukrainian defense news outlet, Militaniy. According to preliminary information, the drones launched an attack on military installations.
One of the drones was captured on camera by local residents after it landed in a field, presumably due to a technical malfunction. The footage revealed that the drone was painted with a black, light-absorbing paint. This tactic of painting drones black is not new; it has been previously employed by Russian forces to camouflage their Shahed-136 drones during night operations.
However, the reason for deploying these night-adapted Ukrainian drones in broad daylight remains unclear. The black paint, which is advantageous during night missions, makes the drones highly visible and increases their chances of being detected and shot down during the day.
The use of black paint on drone fuselages is a strategy aimed at reducing visibility during night operations. This technique was initially used by Russian military forces to enhance the stealth capabilities of their unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). By adopting a similar approach, Ukrainian forces have sought to improve the effectiveness of their drone operations under the cover of darkness.