Russian propaganda is spinning an unusual theory to explain the recent Ukrainian advances in the Kursk Oblast.
The latest claim suggests that Ukrainian soldiers have received special uniforms from Western allies that render them invisible, both day and night, as part of an alleged international conspiracy.
According to reports from the Military Portal, this theory is being pushed as a way to rationalize Ukraine's success in the region.
But this explanation is far from credible, as the large amount of equipment that Ukrainian forces have moved into Kursk Oblast would be difficult to conceal, even if the soldiers themselves were invisible.
The Reality of Ukrainian Forces in Kursk
Retired military intelligence officer Lt. Col. Maciej Korowaj wrote on X:
"At night, sounds travel for many kilometers, which is why the sound of Ukrainian engines on the night before the operation from August 5 to 6, 2024 was clearly audible in the Sumy district."
Even if the Ukrainians had used special camouflage for their soldiers and equipment, the presence of Ukrainian forces near and across the Russian border would be hard to miss.
Fact vs. Fiction
While the idea of "invisible" soldiers might sound like science fiction, the military industry has indeed been developing advanced camouflage materials for some time, as reported by WP Tech.
These materials are designed to bend light around the object, effectively masking it from visible, ultraviolet, infrared, and shortwave light. Such technology also reduces the thermal signature of soldiers, making it harder for enemy night vision and thermal imaging to detect them.
In late 2023, Ukraine's Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, introduced a real-world example of this technology via Telegram.
He showcased an "invisibility cloak" designed to help Ukrainian soldiers evade detection by Russian thermal imaging, especially from drones. Weighing just 2.5 kg, this cloak offers protection against various weather conditions and is made from non-flammable material.
Poland's Contributions
Similar innovations are being developed in Poland, where a camouflage net was tested by WP Tech journalist Norbert Garbarek.
This net, part of the INVISI-TEC IR system, effectively stops heat radiation, blending and reflecting the temperature generated by a soldier back to its source.
This technology makes it nearly impossible for the heat to "escape" and reveal the soldier's position.
