There are probably few things as terrifying as being hunted at night by a foe who can see in the dark—especially when you can’t. It can leave exposed personnel at the mercy of distant snipers, armored vehicles, or even tiny grenade-armed drones hovering overhead.
This is a common situation for Russian troops invading Ukraine, as they are comparatively under-supplied with night-vision systems. To reduce the ease with which thermal-imaging-equipped Ukrainian drones and snipers can detect them, a recent report indicates that Russian troops are turning to mylar ponchos, or ‘space blankets’, to cloak their heat signatures.
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A Ukrainian officer deployed to Eastern Ukraine—going by the social media handle Tatarigami—claims this trend has been observed amongst Russian troops. In particular, such blankets were identified on Russian troops captured or killed near Avdiivka, immediately north of the large city of Donetsk in Eastern Ukraine.
Read more: Popular Mechanics