Anti-Drone Nets Now Being Used To Protect Buildings In Russia
Faced with constant attacks by Ukrainian drones and artillery, officials in the Russian border town of Shebekino have placed anti-drone netting on dozens of buildings for protection. The move comes as Ukrainian forces continue to maintain a small salient in the region after launching an incursion there two weeks ago.
Images taken by local photographer Olga Klyuchkareva emerged on social media Thursday showing several high-rise buildings covered by the netting. The nets in the images are attached to the tops of a block of five-story apartment buildings and drape down outward toward the street.
In Shebekino, Belgorod region, 41 apartment buildings have been covered with anti-drone nets. The local creatures are loving it – they joke about it and, as always, endure it with classic patience. pic.twitter.com/Q26fwKX1ut
— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) April 3, 2025
'In the city, about 35 multi-story buildings are already covered with such networks,' the Russian Military Chronicle Telegram channel reported. 'Shebekino is under constant enemy attacks. Yesterday, UAV strikes damaged an apartment in an apartment building, a car, and a residential building, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported in the morning.'
The netting seen today in Shebekino is the result of a program Gladkov initiated last November.
''As part of the experiment, 10 residential buildings will be covered with such nets,' said Gladkov,' the independent Russian Astra news outlet reported at the time. 'The material chosen is non-standard, suitable for these purposes. One of the contractors undertakes to cover 10 buildings with such nets. We will see how it performs, and then we will make a decision.'
Though officials were evaluating how well the netting worked, that experiment was designed to be temporary, Gladkov explained at the time.
'Such a measure would not be durable, since in winter the netting gets clogged with snow and can break under its weight,' he said. 'Their lifespan will be three to four days, so it is not profitable in terms of costs or implementation.'
These building nets are the latest iteration of a defensive measure both sides have adopted to help protect against drones by either causing them to explode at a distance from the target or get caught up in the webbing. They have appeared in static locations like oil refineries in Kapotnya and in Novoshakhtinsk and more recently, as tunnels on roadways.
To protect themselves from Ukrainian drone attacks, the Russians have fenced off the road from Bakhmut to Chasiv Yar, creating a 2-km mesh tunnel. In this way, the Russians are trying to rescue their equipment and personnel from threats from drones. pic.twitter.com/qbtFvwrAcx
— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) February 9, 2025
'Installing nets made of durable synthetic material allows for the interception of small fragments and the slowing down of the fall of larger debris, minimizing the likelihood of casualties and destruction,' the Russian Dzen media outlet reported.
This measure is far from infallible of course. First-person view (FPV) drones with the ability to command detonate could punch holes in these nets, allowing other FPVs to enter. They would offer no protection against artillery shells or airstrikes.
All this comes as Ukrainian troops have established a 13km (about eight miles) thrust into the Belgorod region, a retired high-ranking Ukrainian officer told The War Zone.
'Aviation assets are carrying out combat sorties to cut off logistic lines of supplies, blowing up bridges and trying to reduce the operational tempo of Russian troops in counteroffensive actions,' said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss operational details. 'On the other hand, making it more difficult for Russian troops to withdraw from the area of operation.'
The strategic objective of the Ukrainian Belgorod operation 'is to create one more bridgehead as a buffer zone to our border and create more favorable conditions before the widely expected spring-summer Russian counteroffensive,' the retired officer posited.
#Ukraine forces have entered
#Russia's Belgorod region pic.twitter.com/b4BUwRNzwy
— C4H10FO2P
(@markito0171) April 3, 2025
The Russian Defense Ministry (MoD) acknowledges the incursion but said its forces are inflicting heavy casualties on Ukrainian forces.
'In the Belgorod direction, units of the Sever Group of Forces hit manpower and hardware of two mechanized brigades, one motorized infantry brigade, two assault regiments of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and two territorial defense brigades close to Miropolskoye, Prokhody, and Petrushevka,'
That Russia is using nets to protect civilian buildings is a stark reminder of how the war has hit home for this city. A large number of the 40,000 residents who lived there before the all-out war began have been evacuated because of Ukrainian bombardment. Whether this defensive measure can help protect some of those who stayed remains to be seen.
Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
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Hamilton Spectator
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Wartime NATO summits have focused on Ukraine. With Trump, this one will be different
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The year before, a statement more than twice as long was published in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. A new NATO-Ukraine Council was set up, and Kyiv's membership path fast-tracked. Zelenskyy received a hero's welcome at a concert downtown. It will be very different at a two-day summit in the Netherlands that starts Tuesday. NATO's most powerful member, the United States, is vetoing Ukraine's membership. It's unclear how long for. Zelenskyy is invited again, but will not be seated at NATO's table. The summit statement is likely to run to around five paragraphs, on a single page, NATO diplomats and experts say. Ukraine will only get a passing mention. If the G7 summit is anything to go by ... Recent developments do not augur well for Ukraine. Earlier this month, frustrated by the lack of a ceasefire agreement, U.S. President Donald Trump said it might be best to let Ukraine and Russia 'fight for a while' before pulling them apart and pursuing peace. 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Questions about US support for Ukraine Trump wants to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. He said he could do it within 100 days , but that target has come and gone. Things are not going well, as a very public bust up with Zelenskyy at the White House demonstrated. Trump froze military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine's armed forces for a week. The U.S. has stepped back from the Ukraine Defense Contact Group that was set up under the Biden administration and helped to drum up weapons and ammunition. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth skipped its last meeting ; the first time a Pentagon chief has been absent since Russian forces invaded in February 2022. Addressing Congress on June 10, Hegseth also acknowledged that funding for Ukraine military assistance, which has been robust for the past two years, will be reduced in the upcoming defense budget. It means Kyiv will receive fewer of the weapons systems that have been key to countering Russia's attack. Indeed, no new aid packages have been approved for Ukraine since Trump took office again in January. 'The message from the administration is clear: Far from guaranteed, future U.S. support for Ukraine may be in jeopardy,' said Riley McCabe, Associate Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a U.S.-based policy research organization. Cutting aid, McCabe warned, could make the Kremlin believe 'that U.S. resolve is fleeting, and that time is on Russia's side.' 'Putin has less incentive to negotiate if he believes that U.S. disengagement is inevitable and that Russia will soon gain an advantage on the battlefield,' he said. What the summit might mean for Kyiv Trump wants the summit to focus on defense spending. The 32 allies are expected to agree on an investment pledge that should meet his demands. Still, the Europeans and Canada are determined to keep a spotlight on the war, wary that Russia could set its sights on one of them next. 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It was set up that way to prevent the meeting from derailing. If the G7 is anything to go by, Trump's focus on his new security priorities — right now, the conflict between Israel and Iran — might make it even shorter. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
San Francisco Chronicle
3 hours ago
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Wartime NATO summits have focused on Ukraine. With Trump, this one will be different
BRUSSELS (AP) — At its first summits after Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, NATO gave President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pride of place at its table. It won't be the same this time. Europe's biggest land conflict since World War II is now in its fourth year and still poses an existential threat to the continent. Ukraine continues to fight a war so that Europeans don't have to. Just last week, Russia launched one of the biggest drone attacks of the invasion on Kyiv. But things have changed. The Trump administration insists that it must preserve maneuvering space to entice Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, so Ukraine must not be allowed steal the limelight. In Washington last year, the military alliance's weighty summit communique included a vow to supply long-term security assistance to Ukraine, and a commitment to back the country 'on its irreversible path" to NATO membership. The year before, a statement more than twice as long was published in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. A new NATO-Ukraine Council was set up, and Kyiv's membership path fast-tracked. Zelenskyy received a hero's welcome at a concert downtown. It will be very different at a two-day summit in the Netherlands that starts Tuesday. NATO's most powerful member, the United States, is vetoing Ukraine's membership. It's unclear how long for. Zelenskyy is invited again, but will not be seated at NATO's table. The summit statement is likely to run to around five paragraphs, on a single page, NATO diplomats and experts say. Ukraine will only get a passing mention. If the G7 summit is anything to go by ... Recent developments do not augur well for Ukraine. Earlier this month, frustrated by the lack of a ceasefire agreement, U.S. President Donald Trump said it might be best to let Ukraine and Russia 'fight for a while' before pulling them apart and pursuing peace. Last weekend, he and Putin spoke by phone, mostly about Israel and Iran, but a little about Ukraine, too, Trump said. America has warned its allies that it has other security priorities, including in the Indo-Pacific and on its own borders. Then at the Group of Seven summit in Canada, Trump called for Russia to be allowed back into the group; a move that would rehabilitate Putin on the global stage. The next day, Russia launched its mass drone attack on Kyiv. Putin 'is doing this simply because he can afford to continue the war. He wants the war to go on. It is troubling when the powerful of this world turn a blind eye to it,' Zelenskyy said. Trump left the G7 gathering early to focus on the conflict between Israel and Iran. Zelenskyy had traveled to Canada to meet with him. No meeting happened, and no statement on Russia or the war was agreed. Lacking unanimity, other leaders met with Zelenskyy to reassure him of their support. Questions about US support for Ukraine Trump wants to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. He said he could do it within 100 days, but that target has come and gone. Things are not going well, as a very public bust up with Zelenskyy at the White House demonstrated. Trump froze military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine's armed forces for a week. The U.S. has stepped back from the Ukraine Defense Contact Group that was set up under the Biden administration and helped to drum up weapons and ammunition. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth skipped its last meeting; the first time a Pentagon chief has been absent since Russian forces invaded in February 2022. Addressing Congress on June 10, Hegseth also acknowledged that funding for Ukraine military assistance, which has been robust for the past two years, will be reduced in the upcoming defense budget. It means Kyiv will receive fewer of the weapons systems that have been key to countering Russia's attack. Indeed, no new aid packages have been approved for Ukraine since Trump took office again in January. 'The message from the administration is clear: Far from guaranteed, future U.S. support for Ukraine may be in jeopardy,' said Riley McCabe, Associate Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a U.S.-based policy research organization. Cutting aid, McCabe warned, could make the Kremlin believe 'that U.S. resolve is fleeting, and that time is on Russia's side.' 'Putin has less incentive to negotiate if he believes that U.S. disengagement is inevitable and that Russia will soon gain an advantage on the battlefield,' he said. What the summit might mean for Kyiv Trump wants the summit to focus on defense spending. The 32 allies are expected to agree on an investment pledge that should meet his demands. Still, the Europeans and Canada are determined to keep a spotlight on the war, wary that Russia could set its sights on one of them next. They back Trump's ceasefire efforts with Putin but also worry that the two men are cozying up. Also, some governments may struggle to convince their citizens of the need to boost defense spending at the expense of other budget demands without a strong show of support for Ukraine — and acknowledgement that Russia remains NATO's biggest security threat. The summit is highly symbolic for Ukraine in other ways. Zelenskyy wants to prevent his country from being sidelined from international diplomacy, but both he and his allies rely on Trump for U.S. military backup against Russia. Concretely, Trump and his counterparts will dine with the Dutch King on Tuesday evening. Zelenskyy could take part. Elsewhere, foreign ministers will hold a NATO-Ukraine Council, the forum where Kyiv sits among the 32 allies as an equal to discuss its security concerns and needs. What is clear is that the summit will be short. One working session on Wednesday. It was set up that way to prevent the meeting from derailing. If the G7 is anything to go by, Trump's focus on his new security priorities — right now, the conflict between Israel and Iran — might make it even shorter.
