The impact of war on Ukraine is shown by the nests of fiber-optic cable birds.
Researchers say that a nest of a small bird made from grass and fibre-optic cables near the front lines of the war in Ukraine shows the impact the conflict has had on the environment. The conflict, which is now more than four years old, has reshaped the natural landscape.
The frontline of the 1,200 km (746 miles) front line is covered by ultra-thin fiber-optic cable, which is used by Ukrainians and Russians to guide drones for aerial attacks to make them immune to electronic jamming.
In Ukraine's frontline areas, the cables can be as long as 20 km and are tangled up in trees, scattered on fields, and even on the roofs of towns. They glisten in the sun like a giant spider web.
Yana Hrynko is a senior researcher in Kyiv’s War Museum. She carefully examines two delicate nests that the armed services sent to the museum.
"Objects like bird nests with pieces of optical fibre show the change in nature of war," stated?Hrynko.
In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine with tanks and armoured vehicles. Ukraine has invested heavily in aerial drones to try and counter Russia's advantage with conventional equipment. Drones are now the most common weapon on the battlefield.
Hrynko stated that researchers didn't know what birds built the nests or how they gathered the cables.
The first nest is primarily made up of fibre-optic cables and dry grass. "It's a pretty tight twist," she said.
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We spoke with several Ukrainian servicemen who found nests in frontline areas of Donetsk and Kharkiv, and shared their photos and videos on the internet.
Researchers said that one of the nests would remain in Kyiv and be part of the War Museum’s war collection. The other will be sent to the Netherlands for study and then returned.
Auke-Florian HIemstra, 33-year old?biologist from the Dutch city of Leiden, who specializes in artificial nest material, says Ukraine has a rich biodiversity in birds and many species could have built these?nests.
She said, "We will look for DNA traces in the nest to determine who made it." "I've never seen nests quite like this one before, and I've seen many nests from birds."
Hiemstra stated that the impact of?fibreoptic on birds may be mixed. It could be harmful to birds as they could become entangled, but it could also help them build a strong nest. Hiemstra added, "And by documenting a nest like this one, we are also documenting how war has affected nature in Ukraine." (Yuri Kovalenko contributed additional reporting, Olena Hartmash wrote the article, Daniel Flynn edited it, and Timothy Heritage provided editing).
(source: Reuters)
