How Camouflage Nets Are Made in Lviv
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, camouflage nets have become one of the most recognizable symbols of Ukraine’s volunteer movement. Across Lviv, people of all ages spend their afternoons cutting, tying, and weaving strips of fabric into large, green and brown nets that help protect soldiers and equipment at the front.
These handmade nets are a quiet but vital part of the country’s defense, and anyone can help make them.
How Camo Nets Are Made
The process depends on the group and the materials they have available, but most volunteers in Lviv use one of two main techniques: weaving or knotting.
Woven nets are made by threading strips of fabric through a plastic or nylon mesh base. This method creates larger, flexible coverings that are perfect for tanks, cars, and open areas.
Knotted nets use a simpler structure, where fabric pieces are tied directly onto a string grid. This creates a more textured look, with patterns that resemble leaves or natural foliage.
Each piece of fabric is cut from recycled clothing, curtains, or donated textiles, typically in shades of green, brown, beige, and grey. Volunteers work carefully to ensure the colors blend naturally, breaking up the outlines of whatever the net will cover.
Different Sizes for Different Uses
Not all camouflage nets are the same. Their size and design depend on what they will be used for.
Smaller nets, around 2×6 meters, are often used to cover entrances, ammunition crates, or dugouts. These are light, easy to handle, and ideal for smaller spaces.
Larger woven nets can stretch across vehicles, equipment, or open areas, providing concealment from aerial surveillance and drones.
Even though the work is repetitive, each net is unique, handmade, shaped by hundreds of small human gestures, and infused with care and purpose. Handmade nets blend much better in the environment than factory made ones. That is why they are very high in demand and preferred by soldiers.
Where You Can Volunteer in Lviv
There are many places around Lviv where locals and foreigners are welcome to help. Each spot has its own rhythm and community atmosphere.
Library at Ploscha Rynok 9 (First Floor)
A quiet, cozy space in the city center, perfect for beginners or introverted volunteers who prefer a calm environment.
Here, nets are tied using the knotting technique, creating leaf-like textures. They usually make smaller 2x6m nets, ideal for covering crates or bunker entrances.
There is even a friendly cat who often keeps volunteers company.
Porokhova (Horodotska 38)
A more energetic and social location, popular with younger volunteers.
The group uses the weaving method, working together on large nets for military vehicles and open areas.
After completing each net, everyone gathers to sing the Ukrainian national anthem before rolling it up for shipment.
Lviv Opir (Kniaza Romana 36)
A multipurpose volunteer hub where people not only make camouflage nets but also collect humanitarian aid, make trench candles, and produce weatherproof matches for soldiers. It is connected to Ivano Franko University so you will find many students here.
This is a great place to experience the broader scope of volunteer work happening in the city.
Lviv Polytechnic University (Building #4 Hall)
Located right in the university hall, this site is easy to spot.
You will often find older volunteers here, weaving nets while chatting quietly. It is a warm, communal place that shows how people of all generations contribute to the same cause.
Lviv National Academy of Arts (Kubiiovycha St. 35)
A small but creative space on the top floor of the building, where art students and locals gather to help.
Friendly and relaxed, this group often adds artistic touches to their nets and welcomes anyone who wants to learn.
A Citywide Effort
Beyond these central spots, many schools, libraries, and community centers across Lviv host their own net-making groups.
You can find them through Facebook or by simply asking around, as the volunteer community is always open to new hands.
Whether you come for an hour or stay for the whole day, every strip of fabric you tie becomes part of something much larger, a network of care and resistance that stretches from Lviv’s old streets to the front lines.