Anti-FPV Net Tunnels & Curtains
Wire mesh or fishing-net curtains strung over roads, trenches, ammunition dumps, command posts, and CASEVAC routes. Forms physical 'drone tunnels' kilometers long. The cheapest and most reliable area-denial measure against FPV strikes — defeats both RF-link and fiber-optic FPVs because the kill mechanism is purely mechanical.
How It Works
A simple physical barrier: the FPV either snags rotors in the mesh and crashes, or detonates harmlessly on the net well above the protected vehicle/personnel. Posts every 5–15 m support 4–6 m high netting. Ukrainian and Russian forces have built tens of kilometers of these over MSRs in 2024–2025, most visibly on the Pokrovsk and Kupyansk axes.
Technical Specifications
Advantages
- + Defeats fiber-optic FPVs that bypass every EW system
- + Zero per-engagement cost — passive infrastructure
- + Works 24/7 with no operator, no batteries, no signature
- + Easy to repair after a strike — replace the damaged panel
Disadvantages
- − Static — cannot protect maneuver elements in open ground
- − Visually advertises 'something valuable here' if poorly sited
- − Vulnerable to heavy bomber drops from above (net catches the munition but blast may still penetrate)
- − Wind, snow, and artillery shrapnel degrade the structure
Tactical Deployment Tips
- ▸ Cover the full length of MSRs near the FLOT, not just chokepoints
- ▸ Layer with overhead mesh on critical static sites (CP, ammo, fuel)
- ▸ Use camouflaged netting to avoid free targeting cues
- ▸ Maintain dedicated repair teams — single broken panel = open corridor
Limitations & Vulnerabilities
- ⚠ Cannot protect mobile convoys at speed
- ⚠ Heavy bomber drones can drop munitions onto the net from altitude
- ⚠ Recon drones overfly without engagement — does nothing for ISR
Drones It Defeats
Drone types ranked by how well this system defeats them — tap any drone for details
⚠ How Adversaries Defeat This System
Active enemy adaptations observed in the field — distinct from passive limitations above
- ▸ Heavy bombers releasing munitions from above the net
- ▸ Drones flying around uncovered gaps — coverage discipline matters
- ▸ Repeated strikes on the same panel to create a breach
Sources & Further Reading
- ▸ Reuters — Ukraine builds drone tunnels on supply routes (2024)
- ▸ WSJ / FT — Pokrovsk drone-net corridors reporting (2024–2025)
- ▸ ISW — daily assessments referencing route netting