Three out of four remaining Russian submarines in the Black Sea have had protective armor installed on their conning towers, according to the British Ministry of Defence.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainian military and security services have been using one-way attack unmanned aerial systems with great effect against Russian military and infrastructural targets. To head off the threat, the Russian Navy has equipped several of its submarines with new anti-drone protection to protect against the Ukrainian kamikaze drone menace—in particular metal mesh armor surrounding the submarine’s vital areas.

This type of armor, derisively referred to as a “cope cage,” is already widely used on tanks and sensitive buildings in the Ukraine war, and has seen increasing use in the Middle East as well as Iran has replicated Russian and Ukrainian drone tactics against its regional foes.

How to Put a Cope Cage on a Submarine

The Russian Black Sea Fleet has reportedly equipped three of its four Kilo-class attack submarines with protective systems against drone attacks. The counter-drone systems include cope cages covering the submarines’ conning towers, the most likely target for attack.

“This was applied as a preventive measure in response to Ukraine’s increased ability to strike targets further from the front line,” the British Ministry of Defence assessed in a recent operational update on the conflict.

Cope cages work by creating a physical barrier between a diving kamikaze drone and the target, keeping the detonation of the drone’s warhead away from the target and lessening the drone’s destructive impact. Although the armor is relatively low-tech, it is cheap to use and has been effective on the battlefield in Ukraine, leading to adoption elsewhere.

“Analysis of commercial satellite imagery dated 13 June 2026 identified that three of the submarines had loosened their moorings and had submerged within the basin. Whilst the majority of the hull was below the surface, their conning towers remained above the waterline, explaining the need for the counter-UAS cage,” the British Ministry of Defence wrote.  

Satellite imagery shows that the fourth Kilo-class sub, which has not been fitted with counter-drone protective systems, submerged within the port but away from nearby surface vessels. Its un-armored conning tower is visible above the waterline. The Ministry of Defence suggested that the submarine’s lack of armor indicated the Russians viewed it as a lower priority than the other three submarines.  

Cope Cages Are Going Worldwide

Though cope cages predate the Russian invasion of Ukraine, they saw increasing use from 2022 onward, as they offered greater protection against improvised Ukrainian drones and some (but not all) anti-tank weapons. The Ukrainians quickly copied the Russian innovation, applying similar protective measures on their armored vehicles.  

More than four years later, the protective measure has transcended the battlefield in eastern Ukraine. For example, the United Arab Emirates recently erected giant cope cages around fuel tanks near the Dubai International Airport to protect against Iranian kamikaze drone and missile attacks. Although technologically rudimentary and often crude-looking, cope cages offer a ready and easy solution against the menace of kamikaze drones.

Cope cages do not offer much protection against underwater or surface kamikaze drones, which are far larger and heavier than aerial drones and pack a larger punch. It would be impractical to install metal armor around a submarine in any case.

Ukraine Has Mauled Russia’s Black Sea Fleet

The invasion of Ukraine has proven to be a debacle for the Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet. To be sure, the Kremlin’s “special military operation” has not gone especially well for any branch of the Russian military. But the Russian naval forces in the Black Sea have suffered tremendous damage with little to show for it.  

In the opening weeks of the conflict, the Ukrainians sank the Moskva, a Slava-class guided-missile cruiser and the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet—the largest warship sunk by enemy action since 1945. Subsequently, Russian naval forces in the Black Sea have taken a beating from Ukrainian kamikaze drones and anti-ship missiles, losing dozens of warships and support vessels.  

One of those losses was the Kilo-class attack submarine Rostov-on-Don, which suffered catastrophic damage in two separate attacks by Ukrainian cruise missiles and kamikaze drones.   

The introduction of cope cages will protect against Ukrainian kamikaze drones diving from the skies. But it cannot guarantee that other Russian submarines are protected from Ukraine’s long reach. 

About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou  

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University, an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and a JD from Boston College Law School. His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.

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