Ukraine to Build 4,000km of Anti-Drone 'Net Corridors'
Ukraine plans to protect 4,000 kilometers of its key roadways with anti-drone nets by the end of the year, creating physical 'net corridors'. The large-scale countermeasure is intended to shield critical frontline supply routes from Russian drone attacks. This initiative highlights a growing emphasis on physical, rapidly deployable defenses alongside electronic and kinetic systems.
- The project is led by Ukraine's Defense Minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, and has been allocated an additional $37 million to expedite the construction. The installation pace has been rapidly increasing, from 5 km per day in January 2026 to a target of 20 km per day in March 2026. - This physical defense network is a countermeasure to the widespread use of Russian First-Person View (FPV) drones, which have created vast "kill zones" where any moving vehicle is a target. These nets are designed to protect not only military logistics but also civilian vehicles, emergency responders, and repair crews. - To counter the nets, Russian forces have been observed using thermite compounds to burn through sections, attempting to clear a path for FPV drones to attack the roadways. - Both sides of the conflict are employing this tactic; Russian troops have also constructed extensive net "tunnels," with one reported to be 2 kilometers long near Chasiv Yar to protect their own supply routes. - The materials for the nets are sourced from various places, including decommissioned deep-sea fishing nets sent by French fishermen and charitable groups. Different mesh sizes are layered to counter various types of drones and the munitions they carry. - A civilian infrastructure company, Autostrada, is now involved in building these protective structures in the Pokrovsk direction, a task previously handled only by the military. The company reports being able to install nearly 500 meters of netting per day. - The effectiveness of the nets is not guaranteed, as skilled drone pilots can potentially exploit gaps in the netting, and multiple strikes can degrade their protective capability. Additionally, winter weather conditions have posed challenges, with ice accumulation causing some finer mesh nets to collapse, necessitating a switch to nets with larger openings.
