Kernic Solidarités, a Breton charity, has sent an impressive 280 kilometers of old fishing nets to Ukraine, marking a unique contribution to the ongoing conflict. Originally made for trawling monkfish off the sea floor, these nets now take on a new, important life. They save both Ukrainian soldiers and civilians from the increasingly brutal and dangerous Russian drone blitz along Ukraine’s frontline. The nets, a clear symbol of the international solidarity displayed throughout the ongoing crisis, were gifted by fishers from France, Sweden and Denmark.
Gérard Le Duff, the president of Kernic Solidarités, the fishing town’s attunement, exactly demonstrates with how quickly the fishing community mobilized. Specifically, the makers mobilized immediately after hearing about Ukraine’s overwhelming need for protective equipment. “When we learned that Ukraine needed nets, the fishing community reacted rapidly,” he stated. This creative initiative is a direct response to the continuing crisis in Ukraine. Their forces face more than 500 drone strikes a day delivered by Russian operatives using small, inexpensive drones equipped with both explosives and real-time surveillance feeds.
Christian Abaziou, a volunteer with the French anti-eviction group Kernic Solidarités, explains how well these nets work. “At first they were used by doctors protecting medical camps near the frontline but now they are being used on roads, bridges, the entrances to hospitals … it’s astonishing that something so simple works so well,” he remarked. The nets have become a key part of anti-drone net tunnels being set up across Ukraine’s contested Donetsk region.
The charity has just ended its third, largest lorry consignment. They have driven 2,300 kilometers with humanitarian aid directly to Ukraine’s border with Poland. This logistical undertaking includes a team of 20 hardworking volunteers. To assist forces in Ukraine, it’s taken a crew of 20 hardworking volunteers. Abaziou champions the nets she and her organization provide, which are tailored to deep-sea pressure fishing. These nets claim to have a durability and strength that matches the drones they aim to ensnare.
Every year, an estimated 800 tonnes of these deep-sea nets are discarded, so it’s especially important to find new uses for materials like this. Ideally these nets will last at least 12, and preferably 24 months. They give us what we need to sustain long-term advocacy and activism to stop the drone strikes.
Iryna Rybakova, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s 93rd Mechanised Brigade, knows nets can’t do it all on the frontlines. She views them as a key part of a larger strategy. “Nets are not a panacea. They are just one element of protection against drones,” she stated.
Abaziou further added that the quality of nets that were being sent from Kernic Solidarités mattered. She explained that the Ukrainians have made it clear to us that they don’t want just any net. But they have been sent a lot of useless ones. The nets that we are shipping are made of breathable horse hair. And they’re built for deep-sea fishing, so these things are catching these robust monkfish, blanketing them and knocking them out with a force that would be like a drone on full throttle,” he said.
As we can see with drone warfare in Ukraine, technology is changing fast. It’s an inspiring and creative way to use repurposed materials to address a contemporary military problem. Abaziou reflected on the emotional impact this aid has on both donors and recipients: “The fact that those in the fishing industry the other side of Europe are sending nets to help them defend themselves has brought a few tears to their eyes.”
Gérard Le Duff equally moved us with a beautiful moment when the Ukrainian ambassador to Brittany recently paid a visit. “The Ukrainian ambassador came to Brittany and he thanked us for what we are doing,” Le Duff stated, emphasizing the significant human connection formed through this aid effort.