Ukraine strings nets over cities as killer drones turn streets into war zones

NPR
by Eleanor Beardsley
March 17, 2026
1 min read

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Ukrainian cities use white nylon nets as low-tech defense against FPV killer drones.

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Eastern Ukraine is deploying white nylon nets over roads and city streets as a low-tech defense against FPV drones that have become the dominant threat to civilians near the front lines. The nets are being strung across populated areas where the small, explosive-laden drones have turned streets into active war zones. This makeshift barrier represents one of the few accessible countermeasures available to protect civilian infrastructure and movement in regions under sustained drone attack.

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