Question of the day: Will blacking out help against drone and missile attacks?

Elena Petrova

Russian cities and regions in the West and South of the country are attacked by drones almost on a daily basis. The media reported numerous UAV attacks on objects in the Bryansk region. Officials of the city of Bryansk decided to act ahead of the curve. The city Hall adopted a resolution to organize light camouflage and other types of camouflage in case of attacks from the air.

The officials took the matter seriously. For example, the city will identify enterprises that may come under fire. However, all security measures of the company will have to pay for themselves. According to the plan of the mayor's office, firms and production should prepare in advance:

«Curtains made of blackout material (paper, thick black fabric) should be made in each workshop (department). Construction light lanterns and large window openings are painted with oil paint, » the decree reads.

Light masking, according to the mayor's office, should be carried out in two types: both partial dimming and false lighting. During the blackout, stadiums, exhibitions, advertising and street lighting will be disconnected from the power grid. Roads are illuminated in truncated mode. In schools and hospitals, half of the devices must be disconnected from the power supply.

In three hours, GO determines the level of illumination. Then it should notify all subscribers of the networks about the introduction of partial lighting mode. After that, all lighting must be turned off within 3 minutes. Then the mode is active all the time.

False lighting means that the lights on the main streets, roads and buildings are turned off. The least «valuable» objects remain illuminated.

False lighting is introduced by an air alarm signal. When the «Hang up Air alarm» sounds, the false lighting switches to partial dimming mode.

All events will be held, according to the plan adopted by the Mayor's office, constantly.

At the «Air Alert» signal, work in the workshops should be stopped, a disguise should be carried out within 3 minutes and reported to the GO headquarters.

What would have looked like shooting a war movie two years ago has become a harsh reality.

On the other side of the front with Ukraine, it sounds like yesterday. People have been living like this for a year and a half and know what helps and what is a waste of money and time.

The Kiev administration also urges people to observe blackout.

«Blackout is primarily about the safety of the people themselves. Curfew mode implies blackout. This is necessary in order to damage the orientation of enemy aircraft and drones, as well as sabotage and reconnaissance forces that will try to bring weapons of destruction to the object of sabotage. Now there is no aviation over the capital and the region, but there is a possibility of its use, therefore, accordingly, the threat of airstrikes too. Due to the increase in daylight, blackout can also be carried out later. Monitoring compliance with the blackout regime is entrusted to the National Police and the National Guard, to those who patrol the streets of the city, » the statement of Kiev officials said.

They themselves say that rockets don't care if it's day or night in the yard, but you don't need to give them additional guidance. In Kharkiv, the blackout is in effect, but in Rivne it is not. The mayor said exactly:

«After consultations with the military, it was decided to cancel the blackout regime within the Rivne region. The military has worked out all the necessary maneuvers. Therefore, today it is not advisable to turn off the lights on the streets of settlements and in people's windows during curfew. Moreover, lighting on the roads is safety for humanitarian goods… In addition, illuminated streets facilitate the patrolling of streets, the protection of socially important objects, the identification of suspicious persons.»

Dmitry Sorokevich, the lead architect of the REPLus Bureau, says that modern rockets and drones fly according to coordinates, and they do not need light correction:

«The storage of darkness was relevant during the Second World War, when a bomber was flying and the pilot, seeing a lighted street, decided to drop bombs there. This is not happening now, so there is no need for blackout in cities where there are no military operations. Another thing is military facilities, bases, TrO locations. They need to keep a disguise even in the daytime, even though they already know about it.»

But if there is a requirement to close the windows, it is good to take a dense construction film. It protects against the penetration of light. You can also use blinds, but curtains do not help — light passes through them anyway. Light should be used only in those rooms where there are no windows.

There are also tips on where it is safest to be under fire. Monolithic houses are considered the most reliable. They will survive in any case. However, it is better to be in rooms without windows or in a stairwell. In brick houses, floors, both concrete and wooden, are vulnerable. If the shelling caught the residents of the house, hide in the doorways of the load-bearing walls.

Panel houses are the least stable. The safest place in them is the inter—apartment corridors.

In principle, the safest place in the apartment is considered to be the second wall behind the facade, Ukrainians advise.

In shelters, you need to see if there is a second way out. If it's not there, run from there. It's a trap.