Ukraine says road netting topped 500 miles in 2025

June 8, 2026

1–2 minutes

Summary

Ukraine said it installed about 510 miles of anti-drone road netting this year to protect frontline supply routes.

Why this matters

The expansion shows how both sides in the war have adapted road defenses as small drones became a central battlefield threat. It also indicates how Ukraine is trying to protect logistics routes near the front as electronic countermeasures become less reliable.

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Saturday that it had installed 822 kilometers, or about 510 miles, of anti-drone protection on frontline roads this year.

The total exceeded the roughly 447-mile drive from Florida’s Georgia border to Key West. The ministry said 211 kilometers, or about 131 miles, were installed in May alone.

“Reliable logistics near the front remains a constant priority. We are systematically working to protect key routes,” the ministry said.

Ukraine’s State Special Transport Service built wooden or metal frames along roads and draped mesh over them to form tunnels that stretched for miles.

The netting, often repurposed from farming or fishing mesh and donated by Western allies, was used to entangle small attack drones. Ukrainian and Russian forces first used nets to protect armored vehicles, then in late 2023 expanded their use to fixed positions as fiber-optic drones became more common and electronic warfare became less effective.

Russia began building mesh tunnels at scale on roads under its control, with footage in spring 2025 showing covered highways in Donetsk. Ukraine also expanded the tactic. Its Defense Ministry said last month that it was laying 5.2 miles of netting per day, up from 2.4 miles per day in 2025.

Based on the ministry’s figures, Ukraine has laid at least 720 miles of anti-drone netting over the past two years.

Repeated attacks can tear openings in the mesh, allowing explosive-laden drones to get through and remain near passing vehicles or troops.

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Ukraine says road netting topped 500 miles in 2025

The barriers can help stop drones, but they are not fully effective.

Full story +

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Saturday that it had installed 822 kilometers, or about 510 miles, of anti-drone protection on frontline roads this year.

The total exceeded the roughly 447-mile drive from Florida’s Georgia border to Key West. The ministry said 211 kilometers, or about 131 miles, were installed in May alone.

“Reliable logistics near the front remains a constant priority. We are systematically working to protect key routes,” the ministry said.

Ukraine’s State Special Transport Service built wooden or metal frames along roads and draped mesh over them to form tunnels that stretched for miles.

The netting, often repurposed from farming or fishing mesh and donated by Western allies, was used to entangle small attack drones. Ukrainian and Russian forces first used nets to protect armored vehicles, then in late 2023 expanded their use to fixed positions as fiber-optic drones became more common and electronic warfare became less effective.

Russia began building mesh tunnels at scale on roads under its control, with footage in spring 2025 showing covered highways in Donetsk. Ukraine also expanded the tactic. Its Defense Ministry said last month that it was laying 5.2 miles of netting per day, up from 2.4 miles per day in 2025.

Based on the ministry’s figures, Ukraine has laid at least 720 miles of anti-drone netting over the past two years.

Repeated attacks can tear openings in the mesh, allowing explosive-laden drones to get through and remain near passing vehicles or troops.
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