French Fishers Turn Old Nets Into Anti-Drone Shields for Ukraine
French fishers from Brittany have found an unexpected way to support Ukraine’s defense by sending decommissioned fishing nets that now serve as barriers against Russian drones.
The Gaze reports this, referring to The Guardian.
The Breton humanitarian group Kernic Solidarités has already delivered two shipments totaling 280 kilometers of horsehair netting to Ukraine.
Once used to catch monkfish in the Atlantic, the material is now stretched above roads, trenches, and medical outposts to intercept small attack drones.
“It’s astonishing that something so simple works so well,” said Christian Abaziou, 70, who coordinates logistics for the charity. “At first they were used by doctors protecting medical camps near the frontline but now they are being used on roads, bridges, the entrances to hospitals.”
Each year, Brittany’s deep-sea fleet discards around 800 tonnes of worn nets. Their dense, durable fibers, strong enough to withstand the impact of large fish, have proven just as effective at entangling drone propellers mid-flight.
Founded by local volunteers, Kernic Solidarités originally delivered food, clothing, and medicine to Ukraine’s border with Poland. When word spread that Ukrainian troops needed protective netting, Brittany’s fishing communities responded immediately.
“The Ukrainian ambassador personally came to thank us,” said Gérard Le Duff, president of Kernic Solidarités. “If these nets can save lives, they’re better used there than gathering dust here.”
Similar donations have since come from Sweden and Denmark, where fishers also contributed tonnes of discarded nets. However, rising transport costs have forced the Breton group to pause shipments while discussions continue for Ukraine to arrange pickup directly.
Russia’s intensifying use of first-person-view (FPV) kamikaze drones, often guided by live video feeds and packed with explosives, has forced Ukraine to innovate low-cost defenses. The anti-drone tunnels made from fishing nets now line roads and defensive positions across Donetsk and other frontline regions.
Ukrainian officials note that while the nets are not foolproof, they are a crucial layer of protection. “They’re one element among many,” said Iryna Rybakova, spokesperson for Ukraine’s 93rd Mechanized Brigade, adding that the support from Europe’s coastal communities has deeply moved Ukrainian soldiers.
Kernic Solidarités’ project underscores the growing role of civic partnerships in supporting Ukraine’s defense and humanitarian resilience, turning discarded materials into tools of protection and hope.
As The Gaze previously reported, Czech citizens have raised almost €550,000 in less than two days to fund a long-range Ukrainian missile known as “Flamingo” for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in one of the fastest fundraising drives organized by the Gift for Putin initiative (Dárek pro Putina).
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