Russian propagandist Ilya Tumanov confirmed on Friday that Russian pilots use car tires to protect their aircraft from aerial attack.
“It is clear that all this is not from a good life, and apparently, it is the only option to do something quickly and without extortion from the personnel,” he said on his influential Fighterbomber Telegram channel.
Tumanov also shared an image showing that Russians are placing tires on the upper surfaces of the Sukhoi Su-34 “Fullback” fighter bomber to protect against Ukrainian kamikaze drones.
Additionally, Satellite imagery from Maxar of Engels Airbase, deep inside Russia, shows Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers with tires on top of the airframes, which also could be a makeshift attempt to protect them from Ukrainian drone strikes.
Forbes noted that it is just the latest Russian ad hoc attempt to protect its military vehicles by covering them with readily available materials. Tank crews in Ukraine resorted to welding steel cages over the turrets to counter a threat from loitering munitions—also known as “kamikaze drones”—and by placing wooden logs on the sides of the tanks.
CNN previously reported that Ukraine has become increasingly bold in targeting strategic assets inside Russia through aerial attacks in recent weeks, even as it suffers assaults on its own cities, setting up a new phase of the conflict defined by Kyiv’s apparent efforts to wear down domestic Russian support for the war.