"Mad Max" At Sea: Russia Covers Tankers With Nets To Defend Against Drone Attacks

• 13.08.2026, 11:02

Ukraine carried out one of its most intense attacks on Russian shipping.

Russian oil tankers and port terminals are being equipped with nets and cages to protect against Ukrainian drones. In a video recorded by maritime analyst Yoruk Isik, you can see a tanker leaving the Black Sea via the Bosphorus with anti-drone nets and stacked water tanks suspended on the sides of the vessel. This is reported by Financial Times.

It is noted that anti-drone nets and metal cages have become an important layer of defense on land during the war in Ukraine, but until recently, they had not been seen at sea. The photos show that the side of the ship’s bridge is covered with netting, and its roof is covered with cages.

“Nothing in the ‘Mad Max’ movies could top this,” said Isik, who heads the Istanbul-based consulting firm Bosphorus Observer.

He added that another sanctioned tanker, the “Rizvel,” is also sailing in the Sea of Marmara and is covered with netting.

Over the past two months, Ukraine has carried out one of the most intense attacks on shipping ever seen, targeting Russian vessels in the Azov and Black Seas in an attempt to cut off Russian oil supplies, the publication’s journalists noted.