The small nests, woven from dry grass and ultra-thin fibre-optic cables, were found near the front line and sent by Ukrainian soldiers to Kyiv s War Museum for study. The cables are widely used by both Ukrainian and Russian forces to guide attack drones while making them resistant to electronic jamming.
Stretching up to 20 kilometres, the abandoned cables now cover large parts of the 1,200-kilometre front line, hanging from trees, scattered across fields, and lying on rooftops in frontline towns.
Yana Hrynko, a senior researcher at Kyiv s War Museum, said the nests demonstrate how modern warfare is changing the natural world. Objects such as bird nests with fragments of optic fibre demonstrate the change in the nature of war, she said.
Researchers have not yet identified the bird species that built the nests or determined how they gathered the long strands of cable. One nest will remain on display at Kyiv s War Museum as part of its wartime collection, while the other will be sent to the Netherlands for scientific analysis before being returned.
Dutch biologist Auke-Florian Hiemstra, who specializes in artificial nesting materials, said researchers will examine the nests for DNA traces to identify the bird species. I have never seen nests like this before, Hiemstra said, adding that while the cables could strengthen nests, they might also pose risks by entangling birds.
Scientists say the unusual nests not only reveal how wildlife is adapting to a war zone but also serve as a unique record of the conflict s environmental impact.
