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Here's how Russia plotted to mix new weapons among drones in Ukraine
At a secretive factory in Russia's central grasslands, engineers are manufacturing hundreds of decoy drones meant to overwhelm Ukrainian defences as they try to protect against a horrific new weapon, an Associated Press investigation has found.The plant at Russia's Alabuga Special Economic Zone recently started churning out thermobaric drones alongside the decoys, the investigation found. The thermobaric warheads create a vortex of high pressure and heat that can penetrate thick walls. They suck out all the oxygen in their path, and have a fearsome reputation because of the injuries inflicted even outside the initial blast site: Collapsed lungs, crushed eyeballs, brain damage.Russia came up with the plan for decoys in late 2022 and codenamed it Operation False Target, according to a person familiar with Russia's drone production who spoke on condition of anonymity because the industry is highly sensitive.The idea was to launch armed drones along with dozens of decoys, sometimes .