Adapted by:
Miguel Jorge
WriterJournalist. I've spent more than half of my life writing about technology, science, and culture. Before landing here, I worked at Telefónica, Prisa, Globus Comunicación, Hipertextual, and Gizmodo. I'm part of Webedia's cross-section team.
Karen Alfaro
WriterCommunications professional with a decade of experience as a copywriter, proofreader, and editor. As a travel and science journalist, I've collaborated with several print and digital outlets around the world. I'm passionate about culture, music, food, history, and innovative technologies.
Of the many images that have reflected the chaos and disorder caused by Brexit, few have matched what happened one morning in 2020. Most televisions opened with an aerial shot, zooming in to reveal a monstrous line of trucks stalled for days. The divorce between the EU and the UK had been finalized, and fishing was one of the major casualties. Over time, the industry changed, and one Danish village has completely transformed it.
The gardener and an unexpected net. Carl Futtrup, a 53-year-old gardener from Denmark with no military ties, has become a key player in Ukraine’s defense efforts by responding to an unusual request from the front lines: industrial fishing nets capable of stopping Russian explosive drones. After learning of the need, he contacted fishermen in the village of Thyborøn, who donated 450 tons of thick nylon trawl nets initially designed to hold tons of fish in the open sea.
These nets, discarded after Brexit due to lost access to British waters, transformed into a vital resource for Ukrainian troops. On the front lines, Ukrainians placed them over fortified positions, armored vehicles, and logistical routes to intercept drones and prevent direct attacks, even stopping drones with active propellers and reducing the impact of explosions.
A standard solution to a technological threat. As drones dominate the battlefield, these low-cost nets have become essential against increasingly sophisticated threats, such as fiber-guided devices that evade traditional electronic jamming systems. Heavy-duty nets provide physical protection and remain reusable, even after blasts. Their effectiveness has led to growing demand among Ukrainian units.
Some brigades line trees, tunnels, and vehicles with nets. Each unit can require between 50 and 80 tons of netting per month. Russia has also begun using them, with varying results. The need is so great that the current supply barely meets demand. Many battalions still wait for deliveries.
From the Danish harbor to the Ukrainian front. According to Business Insider, Futtrup has secured an additional 600 tons of nets by contacting more Danish ports, despite the high transportation costs—about $97,000 for the second shipment, with each truck carrying up to 20 tons at a cost of about $3,200 per trip. While fishermen donated the nets free of charge, maintaining logistics depended on voluntary funding and government support, so Futtrup initiated fundraising efforts in Denmark and Sweden.
The problem is that this source of nets isn’t sustainable in the long run. Danish politician Carsten Bach noted that strict environmental laws require the disposal or recycling of such equipment, meaning there won’t be a continuous supply. Fishermen used to store them in hopes of fishing in British waters again but eventually had to discard them.
Redefining war. The Swedish organization Operation Change, which works with brigades in Ukraine, has confirmed that Danish nets are already used in at least 13 units. However, it warns that the supply remains insufficient. With access to the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov blocked mainly by Russian forces, importing is the only way to get more nets.
A commander in the Donetsk region noted that his battalion needs three truckloads (about 60 tons) per month and that installing a single load can take three to four days. Facing this demand, Operation Change is seeking alternatives from organizations that clean up the Swedish coast.
Impact through simplicity. Jennifer Kavanagh, an expert at the think tank Defense Priorities, highlighted this phenomenon as an example of how the war in Ukraine has democratized modern combat. In contrast to military powers’ traditional approach of investing in advanced technologies, the case of fishing nets shows that simple, cheap, and readily available solutions can have a decisive impact on the battlefield.
Nets aren’t a viable option for all armies, but they provide a strategic lesson in evaluating less complex and costly options in future wars. Meanwhile, Futtrup continues his efforts to maintain the supply. His immediate goal is to secure about $54,000 to keep the transportation chain running, and he says he’ll continue sending nets as long as they’re available in Denmark. For him, the distance between Copenhagen and Ukraine is no excuse. “Ukraine is part of Europe, and the country is only 1,250 kilometers [776 miles] from Copenhagen,” he argues.
His initiative hasn’t only provided a concrete solution on the front line but also symbolizes how civil solidarity can become a vital shield amid the most technological warfare of our time.
Image | Michael Held (Unsplash) | Yurii Khomitskyi (Unsplash)
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