AssetID: 55395510
Headline: Luckiest owl in the world is rescued by Ukrainian fighters after getting stuck in anti-drone net on frontline
Caption: This owl had a lucky escape from the frontlines in Ukraine after it got caught in Russia’s anti-drone defences. Ukrainian soldiers from The 429th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade, a specialist drone unit known as ‘Achilles’ rescued the befuddled bird of prey after it became caught in anti-drone net and fibre-optic cables. Unable to free itself, the owl faced certain death, members of the brigade said. The soldiers stopped in their tracks, carefully disentangled the bird, and released it back into the wild. In a statement published on 17 January, the brigade said the war was causing widespread environmental damage, destroying forests, farmland and wildlife. “During combat missions, fighters of the 429th ACHILLES Brigade noticed an owl entangled in the anti-drone net and fiber optic of the enemy,” members of the brigade said in a statement. “The bird couldn't get out on its own and was doomed. Our military stopped, carefully released him, and released. “Combat causes enormous damage to the environment: destroy forests, fields, animals and birds. Russia carries with it the movement - in cities, in nature, in everything that her hand touches.” The rescue is not an isolated incident. In November 2025, Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service reported a similar case involving an injured owl in the Zakarpattia region, near the Ukrainian-Romanian border. Environmental experts have warned that the war in Ukraine is increasingly reshaping natural landscapes, particularly in frontline areas. In frontline towns such as Lyman, streets, trees and ruined buildings have become draped in dense webs of fibre-optic cables. These are left behind by Ukrainian and Russian first-person-view (FPV) drones, many of which rely on wired connections to avoid electronic interference. The conflict has raised growing concerns about long-term environmental and climate damage alongside its human cost.
Keywords: feature,photo,video,owl,wildlife,ukraine,war in ukraine,russia,drones
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