August M
Modern warfare has a way of forcing even the biggest military powers to adapt in unexpected places.
From high-tech shields to simple mesh barriers, the rush to safeguard prized hardware is reaching the planet’s most remote outposts. Now, a new defensive shift has appeared in the freezing waters of the Far North, United24Media reports.
Cages in the cold
Recent activity in the Barents Sea reveals that Moscow is shielding its nuclear submarines at the Gadzhievo naval base. According to The Barents Observer on June 2, this marks the first time anyone has spotted anti-drone nets in this strategic Arctic zone.
Leaked photos from a Murmansk naval school briefly exposed the structures before being deleted. The images show metal frameworks covering critical forward sections like missile hatches, conning towers, and torpedo tubes. Analysts remain unsure if the rear sections have similar coverage.
This sudden fortification follows a wave of successful long-range drone strikes hitting military targets inside Russia. While past operations focused on Saint Petersburg or the Black Sea, the danger has now reached Moscow’s most valued nuclear assets.
Shifting drone threats
Security concerns spiked following a destructive raid in June 2025 at the nearby Olenya airbase. The Barents Observer reported that attackers bypassed local checkpoints by hiding drones inside a commercial vehicle, ultimately destroying four strategic bombers and damaging four others.
Military analysts suggest the lightweight nets are built to intercept small quadcopters rather than heavy drones carrying massive explosives. Instead, the installations seem like a general precaution.
The imagery also shows netting on the K-84 Yekaterinburg, a decommissioned vessel stored since 2020. Meanwhile, standard surface warships at nearby bases like Severomorsk completely lack these screens.
Vulnerable border fleets
“Presumably, the purpose of these nets is to protect such assets against attacks by Ukrainian FPV drones,” said Kristian Åtland, a senior researcher at the Norwegian Defense Research Institute. He added that Russia previously deployed similar protections on its Pacific coast.
The pressure to modify defenses is expanding across all Russian fleets. Recently, Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces successfully struck a patrol ship in the Caspian Sea, roughly 1,000 kilometers away from Ukrainian-controlled land.
Footage of that Caspian attack showed a drone smashing into the ship’s rear section. The hit succeeded even though the vessel’s automatic anti-aircraft cannons were actively firing at the time, highlighting the ongoing vulnerability of coastal border ships.
Sources: United24Media, The Barents Observer
