Nets once used to protect tulips in the Netherlands are being given new life to protect Ukrainian soldiers and civilians from Russian drones.
So are discarded fishing nets and any kind of mesh that prevents drones from reaching their targets. Across Europe, farmers and fishermen are collecting such items to save lives thousands of miles away.
Russian drones target Ukrainian military supply routes and rear bases, often threatening to cut off front-line forces. But they also hit hospitals and civilian traffic.
One of the areas frequently targeted by drone attacks is the southern city of Kherson, which connects it to the outside world in what Ukrainians call the “road of life,” a route that is as protected as possible from Russian attack.
Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, deputy head of the Kherson military junta, told CNN in November that “Russia launches an average of about 2,500 drones into our communities every week. As a result of these attacks, 120 people have been killed in the Kherson region this year.”
The United Nations Human Rights Observatory in Ukraine has confirmed that 2,514 civilians were killed and 12,142 injured in conflict-related violence in 2025, many of them far from the front lines.
Over the past year, the number of nets being set has increased. Currently, the city’s hospital courtyard, generators and shopping streets are protected. On public roads, poles are used to provide a net canopy.
“Work is currently underway to reinforce the road. Dozens of kilometers of lines have already been protected with nets,” Tolokonnikov said, explaining that the durability of various nets was being tested.
“Thanks to a combination of countermeasures and bold decisions, our military is now able to destroy 80 to 95 percent of the drones that the Russians launch into our communities.”
tulip and tuna
The nets are being transported by truck across Europe by various volunteer organizations. One of the largest services, Life Guardians, is operated by Klaas Pot in the Netherlands. He says his team has sent more than 8,000 tons of nets to Ukraine, about half of the total received.
Potts began by collecting nets for use as camouflage for Ukrainian soldiers.
“We knew there was more potential for these nets because they were already starting to be used for anti-drone purposes,” Potts told CNN.
“For example, we know that the road between Kherson and Mykolaiv is particularly dangerous, but they have created a ‘road of life’ there,” he said, adding that at least part of it was protected by nets collected by the team.
Tulip net is made of warp-knit polyethylene, making it lightweight and durable. Typically, they cover bulbs in the ground and are lifted mechanically to streamline harvesting. These can stop small FPV (first-person view) drones and quadcopters, which are used by the thousands on the front lines as well as in the front lines.
Potts said fishing nets are stronger than tulip nets, so they are often used to protect tanks and artillery. He explained that it is also being used to protect Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure, which is currently under near-daily Russian drone attacks.
Other groups across Europe are also participating. Sweden’s Operation Change collects nets that are no longer used by fishermen due to EU fishing quotas, and has so far sent about 400 tonnes of them to Ukraine. Norwegian Volunteer Aid sent salmon fishing nets that are normally recycled after use. In the UK, an organization called Pick Up for Peace is adding fishing nets from Scottish ports such as Fraserburgh to its regular aid fleet to Ukraine.
During a visit to France in November, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy took time out of diplomatic engagements to express his gratitude to a group of French fishermen who are collecting old nets from deep-sea vessels fishing for tuna and other fish.
The organization, called Kernik Solidarites, has already sent 280 kilometers of heavy-duty horsehair nets to Ukraine.
“You all have big hearts,” Zelenskiy told them. “You can’t even imagine how many lives have been saved because of your help.”
The Ukrainian military is particularly keen on further supplies of thicker fishing nets.
“There were several cases where they captured (large Russian-made) Lancet drones,” said Yuri Andrusenko of the 1020th Anti-Aircraft Missile and Artillery Regiment.
The lancet can carry between 2 and 3 kilograms of explosives and can reach speeds of up to 150 kilometers per hour (93 mph) during an attack.
“Fishing nets hold it in place, but they just stop it,” Andrusenko told CNN.
Potts is looking for a place to maintain the pipeline as surplus net reserves in the Netherlands and Denmark are depleted. “This project is still far from completion, but we plan to expand it across Europe in the future,” he said.
“All of our partners have the same motivation: to help Ukraine and be on the right side of history.”
