WATCH: Russia deploys decoy tactic to stop Ukraine from attacking Crimean Bridge

RUMOURS circulating on social media suggest that Russia fears an attack on the Crimean Bridge from Ukraine and have been desperately trying to use decoy tactics to draw attention away from it.

Last week, videos of billowing smoke rolling across the Crimean Bridge (also known as the Kerch Strait Bridge) were the apparent result of a Russian smokescreen exercise, while images and videos making the rounds on Wednesday, July 6 show a barge full of mirrored reflectors in the waters nearby.

A video showing the barge noted: “Not entirely sure what we’re looking at here, but it seems a barge full of mirrored reflectors is being moved to sit in the middle of the Kerch Strait Bridge. Seems Russian fears of an attack on this bridge are growing by the day…”

Not entirely sure what we're looking at here, but it seems a barge full of mirrored reflectors is being moved to sit in the middle of the Kerch Strait Bridge. Seems Russian fears of an attack on this bridge are growing by the day… pic.twitter.com/o8nszn2N7W

— The Intel Crab (@IntelCrab) July 4, 2022

The Russians deployed a 436BIS(R) project vessel near the Krymskiy bridge, according to reports.

The 436BIS(R) vessel is 45 meters long and 8 meters wide, manufactured at the Sokol shipyard in the Nizhny Novgorod region.

“The Russian invaders are reacting nervously to rumours Ukrainian defenders will target and destroy the Kerch bridge that connects the Russian Federation with temporarily-occupied Crimea, Ukraine.”

“They anchored a target ship near the bridge,” one person wrote.

The Russian fascist invaders are reacting nervously to rumours Ukrainian defenders will target and destroy the Kerch bridge that connects the Russian Federation with temporarily-occupied Crimea, Ukraine.

The rashists anchored a target ship near the bridge. pic.twitter.com/KBE7Vus2rN

— Michael MacKay (@mhmck) July 6, 2022

As noted, Russia attempted a smokescreen across the bridge before the barge appeared.

“Close-ups of the upgraded anti-missile defence at the Crimea Bridge. It certainly doesn’t look that confidence-inspiring, fortunately. Last week, attempts were made to cover the entire bridge in smoke, but they failed,” one person wrote.

https://twitter.com/na_intel/status/1544333575629279234?s=21&t=dtAdGys7v1G__u6GKZQGFg

Videos began circulating social media last week showing the apparent smokescreen.

Something is happening on the Crimea bridge pic.twitter.com/F4T01rsufz

— 25% – Roman🇺🇦🇹🇷🇪🇺🇺🇸🇬🇧🇮🇱🇹🇼🇯🇵🇦🇺🦈 (@Wh0Know5) July 1, 2022

The Crimean Bridge, also called Kerch Strait Bridge or Kerch Bridge, is a pair of parallel bridges, one road, one rail, spanning the Kerch Strait between the Taman Peninsula of Krasnodar Krai in mainland Russia and the Kerch Peninsula of Crimea, which is claimed by both Russia and Ukraine.

Independent defence analyst H I Sutton reported on Monday, July 4, that “two target barges (vessels used as targets during exercises with the Black Sea Fleet) coming from Novorossiysk Naval Base had been towed to the location and moored on the east side of the bridge.”

He noted that the barges were now ‘acting as decoys, confusing incoming missiles aimed at Kerch Bridge.’

On Monday, July 4, it was reported that Crimea’s “Head” Serhiy Aksyonov had signed a decree stating a draft commission for the mobilisation of citizens in Crimea to fight in Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia.

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