New satellite imagery of the Dyagilevo air base has appeared on open media. The airfield is currently hosting around 12 IL-76 military transport aircraft, four Su-30 fighters, three Tu-22M3 and six Tu-95MS strategic bombers.
At least two of the Tu-22M3 jets had something similar to a camo livery which seeks to distort the visual outlines of the airframe, or maybe those are elements of slat armor covering the hull and wings from the strikes by Ukrainian attack drones. The image was published by OSINT analyst MT_Anderson on his X profile.
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Defense Express assesses that even if this is some sort of a protective cage for the aircraft, it must be a lightweight and easily detachable structure. Otherwise such a "grill" would undermine the airframe's aerodynamic properties and thus overall airworthiness.
Comparing the location of the presumed slat armor elements on the plane in the top-down view, these structures apparently cover the fuel tanks specifically. It is logical, as those tanks are the part of the aircraft most vulnerable to drone strikes.
There is a reason to believe that the decision to install this improvised protection was prompted by their military bloggers: they repeatedly complained that in over 1.5 years of all-out war, there had been not a single armor element created and applied to the russian aircraft.
Earlier Defense Express covered how russians two russian helicopters and a jet tried to bring down a Ukrainian UAV. The episode was filmed by the drone and shared by Ukraine's Defense Intelligence.
Read more: Tu-22M3 Lost Because of All Airfield Security Personnel Sent to Frontline, russian Sources Say
