Back
Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
The North Bridge has been covered with anti-drone nets: Mykola Chikhanets told about the advantages of this protection and about scaling the initiative "Spiderweb", started by the Film Union, the Techiya Foundation, the Volunteer Battalion Charitable Foundation, and European partners Stichting Life Guardians.
The North Bridge in Kyiv was draped with anti-drone nets after recent attacks by Russian drones on the capital’s crossings. Protective structures, which until recently were mostly associated with the frontlines, are increasingly being used to shield critical infrastructure.
About how such protection works and why the need for it extends far beyond the front line, Stopkor discussed with volunteer and representative of the public organization "Union of Entrepreneurs of TV and Film Industry" Mykola Chikhanets.
News of the nets’ installation on the North Bridge became known in 6 October. Protective material covered certain sections of the structure. According to city authorities, this is one of the safety measures after attacks on the capital’s crossings.
According to Chikhanets, the idea of using nets to protect facilities outside the immediate combat zone is not new.
"In fact, this project has been underway for more than two years, and we move these nets. The nets that go in are trawl nets from ports; they protect infrastructure objects that are located distant from the front," the volunteer said.
What nets are used against drones
As Chikhanets explains, different tasks require different types of material. In volunteer shipments, they use both maritime, notably trawl nets from European ports, and agricultural nets.
The latter are used in peaceful life, for example in agriculture — for growing flowers and protecting crops. According to the volunteer, these nets are thinner and can be used to protect against small drones.
Stronger maritime nets, he says, are used for other tasks — notably for protection against FPV drones, Lancets, and Shahed drones.
At the same time, the specific type of protective structure for each location is determined by the engineering units, depending on the task and the characteristics of the object.
"This is a question for the engineering units. They themselves choose which nets are best for those or other locations, for those or other measures," Chikhanets noted.
According to him, nets arrive from European partners, ports, and agricultural enterprises. Some of them in Europe were already planned to be sent for recycling as secondary raw materials, but instead the material is used to protect Ukrainian objects.
Over 10 thousand tons in two years
Chikhanets notes that over two years the scale of the project he participates in has reached over 10 thousand tons of nets. Recipients include not only military units but also local government bodies and other structures.
According to the volunteer, the team does not accumulate nets in warehouses: they work primarily to fulfill specific requests.
"We do not work to stockpile; we work from orders. We seek funds for logistics and operate from orders. That is, we have an urgent need," he explained.
The biggest problem remains delivery. Nets must be collected from different European countries and delivered to Ukraine. According to Chikhanets, transport from Denmark, the Netherlands, or France can cost more than 4 thousand dollars.
What is "Spiderweb"
Mykola Chikhanets is a representative of the public organization "Union of Entrepreneurs of TV and Film Industry," which, together with partners, implements the volunteer initiative "Spiderweb." The project started in September 2024 year. It was founded by the Film Union, the Techiia Foundation, the Volunteer Battalion Charitable Foundation, and European partners Stichting Life Guardians.
Other contributors to the initiative include the MiksMart Help Charitable Foundation, General Chereshnya, and other Ukrainian and foreign partners. StopKor has previously reported on delivering such nets to the front and on expanding the project.
One of the founders and key participants of "Spiderweb" is the Techiia Foundation (Foundation Techiia), co-chair Oleksii Krót who was at the initiative’s origins. He said the initiative began with the supply of Danish fishing trawl nets, later Norwegian partners joined. When marine nets became scarce, volunteers began using agricultural nets used in Europe to protect vineyards and orchards.
With the participation of Techiia, in the summer 2025 year organizers decided to increase supplies at least tenfold, to a hundred trucks per month. Initiative partners repeatedly noted Oleks Krót’s and Techiia’s contributions to the development of Spiderweb and involving foreign partners.
"We are returning to fishing nets and continuing to work with agricultural nets as well. We need both kinds because the front is diverse. Now we are working on how to provide as many units as possible to units so they can provide strong protection for our soldiers. Cooperation of foundations allows us to do things we could not do alone," emphasized Oleks Krót.
Today, Spiderweb covers not only the needs of combat units. Nets are used to protect equipment, positions, roads, logistic routes, and infrastructure facilities. The Film Union's official page states that material is given to defenders free of charge, and requests for nets come from the military.
According to Stichting Life Guardians, one of the project’s international partners, currently within Spiderweb approximately 10 thousand tons of nets have already been delivered, and total shipments amount to hundreds of trucks.
"We simply provide the material"
Chikhanets emphasizes that the volunteer team does not independently decide where and how to install nets. Its task is to locate material, organize logistics, and hand it over to those who have relevant requests.
"We simply enable, provide material to engineering units, we have requests and we fulfill them," he said.
According to the volunteer, nets also have seasonal limitations. In winter ice can form on them and snow can accumulate, so the duration and conditions of use depend on the specific location and the decisions of engineering services.
The appearance of such structures over the North Bridge shows that drone protection is gradually becoming part of safety not only for military positions but also for city infrastructure. At the same time, the actual effectiveness of such protection depends on the type of net, construction, installation method, and the drone type.
For Spiderweb, the main challenge remains not finding applications for nets but delivering them in the necessary volumes. That is why organizers call on everyone who can help with logistics to join the initiative.
Military units and engineering services can reach out to the Spiderweb team with requests for nets. Materials are provided free of charge, and volunteers look for ways to meet the needs of specific units.
Donors can also help the project — primarily financially, since transporting nets from Denmark, the Netherlands, France, and other European countries to Ukraine is the largest expense at the moment.
"We invite all concerned people, patriots, to join the Spiderweb project, to be with us," Mykola Chikhanets urged.
To apply or learn how to help with logistics, you can contact the official pages and social networks of the initiative’s participants. All necessary contacts are published by the Spiderweb team in the open.
As a reminder, the Spiderweb initiative, which saves lives on the front lines, is actively expanding. We have already reported that new volunteer associations, businesses, and FPV drone manufacturers have joined — among them Wings of the Carpathians, General Chereshnya. The mission is also continued by the Volunteer Battalion, Life Guardians, MIKSART company, the Techiia Foundation, the Union of TV and Film Industry Entrepreneurs. All for the main goal — to save the lives of Ukrainian soldiers who are daily under fire in the east of the country.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Від фронту до Києва: як антидронові сітки можуть захистити Північний міст?". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: StopKor.
