After coming under repeated attacks by Shahed drones and cruise and ballistic missiles during the U.S.-Israeli operation against Iran, the United Arab Emirates began adopting a russian solution — protecting its oil depots with massive metal grill structures.
I24 News has published a photo of one of the oil depots protected by such "barbecue grills." The facility is reportedly located in Dubai near the international airport.
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Judging by the photo, each tank is enclosed within protective structures, and where space allows, the metal framework is positioned as far from the tank as possible rather than built directly against it.
The decision was likely intended to ensure that, even if a drone were to break through the grill, it would be slowed, reducing the risk of it hitting the tank.
As of now, this appears to be the first implementation of such a solution to protect infrastructure in the UAE or elsewhere in the region. It remains unclear whether other countries will adopt similar defensive measures, and how extensively this solution will be implemented in the UAE.
In any case, this involves adopting russian practices. For instance, in russia, the KOZ-U-Sh "universal anti-drone protection structure" is used to protect oil depots. As of October 2025, 150 such structures had reportedly been manufactured.
In 2024, russia's Rostec State Corporation announced that it was testing armor panels designed to protect critical infrastructure from shrapnel and bullets.
In addition to oil depots, russia is using this method to protect other facilities as well. For example, russians have covered the entire VNIIR-Progress military plant with protective structures. The facility is a key site in russia and produces Kometa jamming-resistant satellite navigation antennas.
From the Defense Express side, we urges you to join a fundraising for what is already working: One United Fundraiser: Fundraising by the Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation for interceptor drones.
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