Ukraine says Russia turns to decoy missiles, intel balloons

By JOHN LEICESTER and HANNA ARHIROVA
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A senior Ukrainian official says Russia is using decoy missiles to fool Ukraine’s air defenses and deploying balloons. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukraine President Volydymyr Zelenskyy, told The Associated Press that Russia is changing tactics as the invasion approaches its one-year anniversary. He said Thursday the goal of the decoy missiles is to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defense systems by offering too many targets. He says the Russia aims to overload Ukraine’s anti-aircraft systems to increase its chances of hitting infrastructure facilities. Another new feature of Russia’s strategy is the use of what Podolyak called “special air balloons.” Officials say they appear intended at confusing and spying on air defense systems.