Camilla Jessen
Russian forces have begun building improvised “tunnel roads” in occupied parts of eastern Ukraine.
Russian forces are building makeshift “tunnel” structures using mesh netting along a key highway in Ukraine’s Donetsk region. The goal is to protect military transport from Ukrainian drone attacks as troops push toward the city of Pokrovsk, according to verified footage shared online and reported by Militarnyi.
These net-covered tunnels have been spotted near the occupied village of Karlivka, close to the Karlivka Reservoir. A Russian missile strike destroyed a nearby dam in April 2024, causing flooding along the Vovcha River.
The tunnel structures have been installed along the E50 highway—a major supply route connecting Donetsk with towns like Selydove and Novohrodivka, which are currently being used as staging points for Russian forces.
The tunnels are designed to hide and protect vehicles from Ukrainian drones, especially FPV (first-person view) drones, which Ukraine has used to target Russian convoys and supply lines.
Russian troops first started using basic anti-drone nets in 2023 near Bakhmut. At the time, the nets were hung in isolated spots to disrupt drone flights. Later, troops began covering longer stretches of roads using fishing nets and metal mesh.
According to Russian sources, fishing nets may work better than metal mesh because they can trap drones without setting off their explosives—unlike metal, which often causes them to detonate on contact.
While these net tunnels are relatively cheap to build, they require a lot of time and effort. Workers need to set up support poles and stretch the nets over roads—often while under threat from Ukrainian surveillance or drone strikes. The nets also need regular maintenance because of weather damage or fighting.
Russia has used similar netting in the Kursk region to protect military convoys. However, Ukrainian drone operators were still able to get through and destroy vehicles and troops.