Painted airplanes have appeared at the military airfield in Engels, Saratov region, where Tu-95 strategic bombers are stationed. They can be seen on a satellite image by Planet Labs, taken on September 29.
Source. The Moscow Times writes about this with reference to The War Zone project.
The planes attracted attention because they did not cast shadows like other Tu-95s. At the same time, one of them was clearly incomplete and did not have half the details that the other bomber had.
The drawings may be an attempt to present incorrect information about the aircraft at the airfield on satellite images, The War Zone experts say. They also remind that modern surveillance systems are able to distinguish two-dimensional images from three-dimensional ones. Therefore, it is possible that the drones will mistake the painted aircraft for real Tu-95s.
In early September, satellite images of the Engels airfield showed another way to protect strategic bombers: they were camouflaged with car tires.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked the Engels airfield twice in late 2022. It was targeted because, according to Ukrainian intelligence, bombers took off from the airfield to strike Ukraine's critical infrastructure. Although the airfield is located about 700 kilometers from the Russian-Ukrainian border, Tu-141 Strizh drones flew to it and were able to attack. The second attack damaged five Tu-95MS bombers and a control tower.