Nets extending for kilometers protect Ukraine from drone attacks. They come from the Netherlands. The aerial assaulters get caught in the meshing, which can save lives.

Kyiv

Russian forces have invaded Ukraine from land, air and sea with strikes causing widespread damage. Global leaders have condemned the move and imposed sanctions.

Ukraine Invasion

In Ukraine, the threat of drone attacks has led to innovative defensive measures, including the use of agricultural nets originally designed for Dutch tulip farming. These strong, nearly unbreakable nets, once used to grow and harvest tulip bulbs, are now being repurposed to shield roads and positions from aerial threats. 

Damaged or surplus nets from the Netherlands are collected by volunteers such as Otto Jelsma, an Iraq veteran, and sent to Ukraine, where they provide a layer of protection against drones. The nets, which are more effective than previously used fishing nets, help slow down drones and give people time to react. The effort is largely funded by Ukrainians and has been welcomed by those on the front lines, who say the nets can mean the difference between life and death.

Ukraine drone defense: How Dutch tulip nets help

Danger from above. In Ukraine, anyone can be the victim of a small drone attack. Having a net can mean the difference between life and death. It's interesting to note where some of these life-saving nets come from. The fields of the Netherlands. They might look like onions, but they're not for your salad. Tulip bulbs, or bollen as they're affectionately known here, are one of the Netherlands' best-known products. Today, they're being pulled up. They're planted in November, explains farmer Peri Pater. Here, the aim isn't to grow tulips, but to propagate new bulbs between the nets and the ground. There are between 80 and 100 bulbs per square meter in the heavy clay soil, and it would be no fun to dig them out by hand. But they have to be removed, as the field is farmed by different farmers throughout the year. These are very strong nets. You'd have to be really good to get anything out with your fingers. They're practically unbreakable. You're more likely to break your fingers. But no one has to suffer. The pink harvester is at hand. It pulls the nets out of the rich soil and outroll the bulbs, the source of next year's magnificent tulips. The nets can be reused after cleaning, but if they're damaged, they are not thrown away. Instead, they embark on a journey to war-torn Ukraine. It's great that they can still be useful. It's a pretty unique idea, a very special project that saves lives. It's nice to know that we bulb farmers can contribute, that we can provide the nets for something like that. Tulip nets are now replacing fishing nets. They, too, were used in Ukraine for the past three years. But the fine nets used in agriculture are even better suited for drone defence, as can be seen here on this country road. The man who has been organising all this in the Netherlands since the beginning of the war in Ukraine is volunteer Otto Jelsma, 43, and also an Iraq veteran. He's not the only one, but he sure is the busiest net collector. Imagine you're driving to work or to see your family, and then suddenly a drone attacks you, even though you're just a civilian. Well, you'd simply die. A lot of people over there are anxious about the drones, because you don't usually see them, and when you do, it's too late. All kinds of nets have been in demand since the beginning of the war, and they have a wide variety of uses. But there are many different types, and there's a certain art to the logistics of collecting and sending them on their way. That's where Jelsma's expertise comes in. Well, I'm grateful that I can help, and that we have the opportunity to collect and pass on this material here, because otherwise it would just be burned. And now it's going to save lives. In Ukraine, more and more roads are now being protected with nets of all kinds. What looks harmless at first glance can actually be life-threatening. Time and again, people are injured doing this work, as Dienes reports. The drones are constantly changing. They can attack cars, but they also attack people. The situation is very difficult at the moment. Drones are being deployed against us on a massive scale. Drones are used for camouflage, to protect tactical positions, and, increasingly, to intercept drones, which can approach almost silently. Soldiers on the front lines are often impeded by monitoring and attack drones. This one, for instance, was caught before it could detonate. The Ukrainians let Jelsma know how much they appreciate his work. The men on the ground, they really welcome it. Because, yes, it can save their lives. They have a lot of protection, but it won't always work. It won't stop artillery, of course, but it slows down the drones. And that gives them time to react. It costs 3,000 euros per shipment. Eighty percent of it is financed by the Ukrainians themselves.

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Ukraine drone defense: How Dutch tulip nets help

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Ukraine Invasion