When Russian columns got stuck on their way to Kyiv, many tanks and armored vehicles had ‘cope cages’ mounted on them. These were lattice metalwork improvisations welded from scrap steel and such. They were intended to make modern antitank missiles detonate prematurely. They didn’t work. At all. But they were a great way to keep a lot of Russians busy preparing for an invasion, and looking busy pleases the boss, so cope cages were everywhere.

You don’t see many cope cages anymore. In the words of a famous meme lady, ain’t nobody got time for that. But doing something, anything, however ineffective, pleases the boss, so there in the image above is a cope cage. It is intended to protect the famous bridge over the Dnipro. You know. This one:

You see, those funny looking cube-like objects mounted on the barge are naval radar decoys. No doubt this is the contribution of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, currently cowering in the Sea of Azov. The proud navy that founded Odessa and Kherson is unable to come assist themselves anymore, so they sent some help. Useless help.

This is an electronic warfare version of the cope cage. I confidently predict it will not achieve any purpose, serving only as target practice for Ukrainian gunners. (Who actually are amazing, I mean look at that.) Nothing Ukrainians might use, or have used already against that bridge, uses radar for guidance. If that was their intention, then Russia is trying to win an electronic battle that no one else is fighting.

Far more likely this is a jamming station, and a generator on the barge is powering the ‘rigging’ on the masts, which are antennas. It could be intended to disrupt GPS-guided munitions as well as the control signals of Ukrainian artillery fire control drones. The reflectors might be a defensive measure to scatter signal so that its position is harder to triangulate for artillery or target with a radar-homing missile.

Whatever. It will not last long. Russian EMSO (electromagnetic spectrum operations) assets have been hit hard lately by western long-range artillery. At best, this cope cage will serve to create electromagnetic interference for everyone around without any focus of effect, to no avail, until the Ukrainians get around to blowing it up. But Russians do at least appear to be trying, which is adorable, and pleases the boss.