Russian troops paint their tanks with 'invasion stripes': Cold War-era paint markings are spotted as Putin masses 80,000 troops on the Ukran

Russian troops have painted their assault vehicles with 'invasion stripes' as Vladimir Putin masses more troops on the Ukrainian border and fears that he may try to invade.

An onlooker in the Astrakhan region of Russia, 350 miles from the border filmed a column of armoured personnel carriers with a white cross painted across the top.

In the Cold War, Russian forces painted the cross onto their vehicles when they were facing opponents who also used identical Soviet-made machinery in an attempt to avoid friendly fire.


While in the modern age, technology renders the rudimentary identification unnecessary the paint could be designed to intimidate opponents or boost troop morale.

Similar markings were painted on Soviet Army tanks during the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 because the enemy had the same Russian-made vehicles.

It came as a Ukrainian government report, obtained by the Daily Mail, estimates the Kremlin will deploy up to 30,000 extra soldiers, accompanied by more tanks and rocket systems, in support of 80,000 Russian troops already awaiting orders to advance.

The figures are based on intelligence intercepts and satellite photographs as troops and equipment travel hundreds of miles across Russia to amass around its neighbour.

Moscow has claimed it has no plans to invade and is merely carrying out military exercises, but yesterday footage emerged in Astrakhan, 350 miles from the front, showing Russian BTR 80 armoured personnel carriers daubed with broad white stripes on their way to a railway station.

It has heightened concerns among defence experts and comes as giant robots have appeared in the pro-Russian city of Donetsk, believed to be the work of a local artist, their intent is unclear but they do little to quell the foreboding which hangs over the region.

The United States last night cancelled the deployment of two warships to the Black Sea which had been due to arrive to show support for Ukraine after Russian warships and landing craft were moved west from the Caspian.

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