🔗 Share this article

On the port areas of French fishing ports, accumulations of old nets now represent a regular occurrence.

The operational period of marine harvesting nets generally extends between one to two years, after which they become damaged and unusable.

Now, this specialized fishing material, once used to trawl monkfish from the ocean floor, is finding new application for an unexpected target: enemy unmanned aircraft.

Humanitarian Project Transforms Discarded Gear

A coastal assistance group has transported two shipments of nets measuring 280km to Ukraine to defend troops and residents along the battle areas where fighting is fiercest.

Russia employs small, cheap drones fitted with detonation devices, controlling them by distance operation for ranges of up to 15.5 miles.

"Over the last two years, the war has mutated. Previously we never considered about drones, but now it's a unmanned vehicle battle," explained a charity logistics coordinator.

Tactical Use of Marine Mesh

Military personnel use the nets to establish corridors where aerial vehicle blades become trapped. This technique has been described as arachnids capturing insects in a mesh.

"Our contacts have informed us they require specific any old nets. Previous donations included multiple that are unusable," the coordinator explained.

"The materials we provide are made of horse hair and used for marine harvesting to catch strong marine species which are quite powerful and hit the nets with a force comparable to that of a drone."

Expanding Applications

Initially deployed by medical personnel safeguarding treatment facilities near the combat zone, the nets are now implemented on roads, crossings, the entrances to hospitals.

"It's astonishing that this elementary solution functions so efficiently," commented the humanitarian director.

"We face no shortage of marine gear in this region. It presents a challenge to know what to do with them as various companies that process the material have shut down."

Operational Hurdles

The charitable organization was formed after local Ukrainians approached the founders requesting help regarding clothing, food and medical supplies for communities back home.

A team of helpers have transported two vehicle loads of humanitarian assistance 1,430 miles to Ukraine's border with Poland.

"Upon discovering that Ukraine needed nets, the fishing community responded immediately," declared the humanitarian coordinator.

Aerial Combat Progression

Russia is using FPV unmanned aircraft resembling those on the consumer sector that can be controlled by remote radio control and are then packed with explosives.

Hostile controllers with live camera streams direct them to their objectives. In certain regions, defense units report that all activity ceases without capturing the focus of clusters of "lethal" suicide aircraft.

Defensive Methods

The marine mesh are suspended from structures to establish protective passageways or used to conceal fortifications and equipment.

Friendly aerial vehicles are also equipped with fragments of material to drop on enemy drones.

During summer months, Ukraine was confronting more than five hundred unmanned aircraft daily.

International Support

Multiple tons of old nets have also been contributed by fishers in Nordic countries.

A previous fishing organization leader stated that local fishers are extremely pleased to help the war effort.

"They are proud to know their discarded equipment is going to contribute to safety," he informed media.

Funding Limitations

The association currently lacks the financial resources to transport further gear this year and conversations are progressing for Ukraine to send lorries to collect the material.

"We shall assist get the nets and load them but we lack the monetary resources to continue managing shipments ourselves," commented the humanitarian coordinator.

Real-World Limitations

A defense forces representative reported that protective mesh corridors were being established across the conflict area, about the majority of which is now stated as occupied and controlled by Russian forces.

She explained that opposition vehicle controllers were continuously developing ways to circumvent the protection.

"Nets are not a universal remedy. They are just one element of safeguarding from drones," she stressed.

An ex-agricultural business owner expressed that the individuals he encountered were affected by the help from maritime regions.

"The fact that those in the coastal economy the other side of Europe are providing material to help them defend themselves has created moving moments to their eyes," he finished.