Russian missiles wasted on Ukrainian decoys in ongoing conflict

The Russian Federation's army continues to waste valuable missiles on worthless weapon mock-ups used by Ukrainians. The Russians fell for the long-used tactic and hit a model of a towed M777 howitzer calibre 155 mm, which only costs around 1,350 CAD to produce, whereas one Krasnopol missile costs about 54,000 CAD.

The presence of military equipment mock-ups is a tactic used by both sides of the conflict—Ukrainians and Russians. The former has mastered the skill of building equipment that effectively lures Russian missiles and drones.

So far, the Ukrainian mock-ups seen on the frontline are not just paintings on concrete – as the Russians used to do recently – but high-quality constructions that often resemble real weapons to a tee. Some examples of this work include models of HIMARS and the M1097 Avenger air defence system, as well as the AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel radar, which the Russians mistook for real equipment.

The defending army does not stop hunting the Russians. It constantly uses a refined tactic of luring the enemy with mock-ups of marginal value – especially in light of the value of the missiles the Russians use to hit false targets. Recently, a photo of a Russian weapon hitting a camouflaged M777 howitzer mock-up hidden in the bushes appeared in the media. Now, Ukrainians report another such incident.

According to the Military News UA profile on platform X, Ukrainian soldiers showed a photo of a towed M777 howitzer mock-up, calibre 155 mm, which was destroyed by a precision Krasnopol missile. The Russians once again struck equipment that essentially has no value – its only purpose is to attract attention and, under apparent concealment, lure the shelling of valuable Russian missiles.

To clarify, the Russian Federation's weapon to shell the Ukrainian mock-up, i.e., the 30F39 Krasnopol, is a Russian artillery high-explosive missile calibre 155 mm, which uses a laser beam for target guidance. The export version (Krasnopol-M) has a calibre of 155 mm.

The probability of hitting the designated target with this missile reaches 95% at a maximum target speed of 35 km/h. The ammunition weighs about 50 kg, with the warhead alone weighing 11 kg, of which the explosive material weighs 7 kg. The range (depending on the version) extends from 20 to 24 km.

The towed M777 howitzer, whose mock-up was hit by the Russians, is, in its original version, a popular weapon on the frontline. The defenders received it, among other things, from Estonia in 2023. The British are responsible for the production of this equipment, working under a contract with the USA and designing the weapon to be the appropriate size to fit into a C-130 aircraft. It was also crucial for the US military to adapt the howitzer for unloading on open beaches from light vessels.

The M777 measures about 10 metres in combat position and weighs 3,600 kg. It fires at targets using a 155 mm calibre barrel, 3.3 metres long, which can shoot shells up to a distance of 30 km when using improved ammunition (with additional rocket propulsion). The M777 can also fire M982 Excalibur shells, which reach a distance of 40 km.