Solutions to win: Volunteers create “invisibility cloak” to shield Ukrainian soldiers from thermal detection

Ukrainian inventors have created an "invisibility cloak" for the Ukrainian military, says Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov.

The design makes soldiers invisible to Russian thermal imagers and drones with thermal imaging cameras, Rubryka reports, citing the statement of the digital minister.

What is the problem?

A thermal imager helps soldiers see heat radiation invisible to the human eye from objects, creatures, and people with an accuracy of 0.1 °C and higher in a special heat map. Both Ukrainian defenders and the Russian troops use them at the front line to detect each other. 

Thermal imaging is especially dangerous for Ukrainian soldiers at night because it makes them visible in the dark. The Russian occupiers often take advantage and open fire, wounding or killing Ukrainian fighters.

What is the solution?

"Ukrainians have created a super defense against Russian thermal imagers and drones with thermal imaging cameras," Fedorov said.

The minister added that the cloak would be useful for snipers or soldiers of special operations forces.

"The cloak blocks the radiation of heat and makes the fighters invisible to the enemy," he said.

How does it work?

The "invisibility cloak" blocks heat radiation and makes a person invisible; it does not burn or get wet and protects against high temperatures. The design is compact and light, weighing up to 2.5 kg. It has high protection against rain and wet snow.

The minister released a video showing a ready-made sample that had successfully been tested in the field.

Fedorov said that the cloak was only one of the inventions that would help save the lives of Ukrainian soldiers at the front.

Rubryka reported that Ukraine has developed and is testing a combat robot, "Liut," armed with a tank machine gun.

On the Ukrainian Defenders' Day, Vinnytsia City delivered the first batch of Shchedryk reconnaissance drones to the military.