Drone cages at sea: Why the Ukraine war is turning merchant ships into floating fortresses
- A growing number of ships are sailing through the Black Sea with improvised anti-drone nets, cages and water-filled barriers modelled on battlefield defences
- Analysts say the measures may help against small drones but are unlikely to stop larger, more sophisticated attack systems
- Lacking access to advanced counter-drone technology, shipping is falling back on simple physical hardening to reduce vulnerability and buy time
Tankers in the Black Sea are adopting improvised anti-drone defences, but analysts question their effectiveness against more sophisticated aerial and naval drones
