The Russian Navy is to hide a city of 50,000 people behind a giant smoke screen for a military training exercise later this week. Severomorsk, one of the largest cities in Russia's northern Murmansk region, will be covered in fake fog for three days as part of the exercise for Russia's Northern Fleet.

The smoke will have a “specific smell” but will be harmless to residents and and disappear quickly, the Navy's press office said. The people of Severomorsk have been warned to stay calm when the smoke descends, to keep all windows closed, and to be more vigilant while driving while visibility is impaired.

The Navy hopes that the fake fog will make Severomorsk's large military base invisible to potential enemy eyes, claiming that is the first time in history that such a feat has been attempted.





