The Russian Army’s Unexpected Strategy to Prevent Drones! Patrol boats painted to look like buildings

A Russian patrol ship, suspected to be of the 1331M class, has been painted with outlines of windows and door frames to resemble a building, in an effort to reduce the likelihood of being struck by Ukrainian drones.

[Reporter Tu Ju-min / Comprehensive Report] Ukraine’s continued drone attacks on Russian naval vessels have prompted the Russian Navy to deploy unconventional countermeasures. Foreign military news outlets reported that a Russian patrol ship moored in Kronstadt was recently photographed with its hull painted to resemble a coastal building, complete with painted window and door frame outlines. Additionally, anti-drone protective nets have been installed above the deck, aiming to lower the risk of detection and attack by aerial drones.

The foreign military news website Defense Blog reported that military observer Massimo Frantarelli shared photos showing the vessel located at the Leningrad Naval Base, where it is assessed to be a 1331M-class patrol ship. The Russian Baltic Fleet operates approximately six ships of this class, all built in East Germany during the 1980s, with a displacement of about 800 tons, primarily tasked with anti-submarine warfare.

This camouflage measure emerged after a series of Ukrainian attacks on Russian ships. The Russian patrol ship Smelyy was damaged by a Ukrainian drone attack near St. Petersburg in June this year, while the Russian patrol ship Uragan was sunk in the same area in March, forcing Russia to continuously strengthen the defense of its bases and vessels.

Notably, painting warships to look like buildings is not a new tactic in history. During World War II, the German battleship Tirpitz was reportedly camouflaged as a shore building with patterns of windows and door frames while undergoing fitting-out in Wilhelmshaven, in an attempt to disrupt Allied aerial reconnaissance. However, foreign media pointed out that even when the Russian Black Sea Fleet previously employed similar camouflage, it failed to completely prevent successful attacks by Ukrainian unmanned vehicles.