“Proud to Help Save Lives”: French Fishers Send Nets to Protect Ukrainians From Drones

Fishers from France’s Brittany region are sending decommissioned horsehair fishing nets to Ukraine, where they are being repurposed into protective barriers against Russian drones, The Guardian reported on November 8.

According to the Breton charity Kernic Solidarités, two shipments totaling 280 kilometers of netting have already been delivered to Ukraine.

The material, once used to catch monkfish in deep waters, is now being used to create anti-drone tunnels protecting soldiers and civilians near the front line.

Christian Abaziou, 70, who oversees logistics for Kernic Solidarités, said the initiative emerged after Ukrainian communities requested aid.

“At first they were used by doctors protecting medical camps near the frontline, but now they are being used on roads, bridges, and near hospitals. It’s astonishing that something so simple works so well,” he told The Guardian.

Deep-sea fishing nets typically last 12 to 24 months before being discarded, generating around 800 tonnes of waste annually in Brittany. These horsehair nets have proven particularly suitable for defense purposes: their dense weave can entangle drone propellers, effectively disabling them mid-flight.

Gérard Le Duff, president of Kernic Solidarités, noted that the Ukrainian ambassador had personally visited Brittany to thank the local community.

The organization, which operates with about 20 volunteers, has previously transported humanitarian aid—food, clothing, and medicine—over 2,300 kilometers to Ukraine’s border with Poland.

Ukraine has faced escalating drone attacks as Russia increases its use of small, inexpensive first-person-view (FPV) drones equipped with explosives. Ukrainian troops use the donated nets to shield roads, medical facilities, and vehicles, while also employing similar materials to disrupt enemy drones midair.

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War in Ukraine

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According to The Guardian, fishers in Sweden and Denmark have joined the effort by donating additional tonnes of old nets. However, Kernic Solidarités has said that limited funding prevents further deliveries this year, and discussions are underway for Ukraine to arrange transportation for future shipments.

Earlier, Russian forces were observed constructing makeshift “net tunnels” along key roads in occupied Donetsk region to protect troop movements from Ukrainian FPV drones, using suspended mesh and even fishing nets to disrupt attacks without triggering explosions.

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