Today defending the Kherson region from Russian drone attacks is one of the key engineering and security tasks being implemented amid a constant threat. For a region that is effectively under daily drone terror, this issue is directly related to saving lives.
Last year the military identified 27 sites in the Kherson region where mesh tunnels are to be installed, with a total length of 217 kilometers. To find out how the protection of Kherson’s logistical routes is progressing, what challenges the region faces and what is happening around the scandalous investigation into possible overpayments for anti-drone nets, we spoke with the deputy head of the Kherson OVA, Olga Malyarchuk.
According to her, as of now 178 kilometers of anti-drone nets have already been installed in the Kherson region, of which about 17 kilometers are directly in Kherson itself.
Currently, work is focused on the key logistical routes identified in coordination with the military, including with the command of the 30th Marine Corps of the Navy.
At the same time, due to constant attacks and changes in the tactics of the Russian occupiers, these routes must be additionally reinforced, especially within Kherson, where the intensity of strikes remains high.
94.2 million UAH has already been allocated from the regional budget for the implementation of these measures. According to Malyarchuk, no additional funding has been received for these measures.
In addition, as the official explained, the concept “anti-drone net” is conditional, since it refers to a comprehensive engineering system.
The cost includes not only the nets themselves, but also concrete cones, poles, wire, fastenings, ties and other materials. At the same time, payment for labor is not included in this amount — this is exclusively the material component.
An important factor is the type of mesh — for urban conditions a fine mesh 25×25 mm is used, which is capable of stopping payloads dropped from drones. Larger-mesh nets — 50×50 or 100×100 mm — have a different purpose and, accordingly, a different cost. That is why the choice of materials is coordinated with the military and based on real combat experience.
The pace of work is also affected by the economic situation. If previously one kilometer of mesh fabric with installation cost approximately 1–1.2 million UAH, now it is about 1.8 million UAH. Reasons include rising fuel, material and logistics costs, as well as the risks of working in a frontline area.
“With the rise in fuel costs and all the things that are happening not only in our country but around the world, the price goes up. Plus the security situation — not everyone wants to deliver anymore”, – says Malyarchuk.
However, international partners and volunteers are joining the process. In particular, trawl nets are used to protect critical infrastructure facilities, including hospitals.
At the same time, the Kherson OVA emphasizes that not all volunteer assistance is suitable.
“We cannot neglect security, because we are too close to the enemy. There is a net that really suits us, and we strongly ask for it going forward, and there are ones that are not suitable”, — the official said.
A separate challenge is the maintenance of the nets. They are regularly damaged: by fragments, explosions or because drones get entangled in the fabric. In some cases a local repair is sufficient; in others it is necessary to cut out the damaged section and essentially reinstall it. The cost of such work depends on the degree of destruction.
According to Malyarchuk, with stable funding and a relatively safe situation the main directions in the region could be covered by the end of the second quarter of 2027. At the same time, one of the key constraints remains human resources.
Municipal service workers and contractors are effectively working under a constant threat of attacks, and there have already been cases when installation crews came under drone strikes.
Due to the continuous drone threat, frontline Kherson has become a so-called testing ground for developing new protection standards, and the Kherson experience is already serving as a basis for other regions.
“We are actually writing a new manual every time, adding improvements. Now we see drones getting onto fiber-optic lines — we have already drawn conclusions and are taking certain actions so that this happens as little as possible”, — says Malyarchuk.
At the same time, the topic of anti-drone nets is accompanied by a loud public and criminal context. Last year Mykolaiv law enforcement reported the exposure of an alleged scheme to embezzle budget funds in purchases of nets for Kherson region. According to preliminary estimates of the investigation, the damages may exceed 6.4 million UAH.
According to the investigation, officials of the Department for Civil Protection and Defense Work of the Kherson ODA may have concluded contracts for over 32.5 million UAH with a group of shell FOPs. These entrepreneurs likely acted as intermediaries — they purchased nets from real suppliers and resold them to the department at inflated prices.
This caused significant resonance in the media and social networks, since the issue of drone attacks remains very painful — just during last year 130 people were killed in the region as a result of drone terror, including 3 children. Another 1,195 civilians were injured.
According to Olga Malyarchuk, she does not have complete information about the course of the investigation, but, in her view, the situation with law enforcement agencies creates additional tension and “does not benefit the common cause”.
Despite this, Malyarchuk emphasized that at the level of the Regional Defense Council all bodies supported the need to continue purchases and to expand the network of nets as soon as possible.
At the same time, as the official noted, conflicts and criminal proceedings affect cooperation with contractors — not everyone is ready to work under such conditions, which leads to loss of time.