Western intelligence reports that Russia has equipped some submarines with anti-drone “cages” designed to reduce damage from drone attacks, including potential threats linked to Ukraine’s longer-range strikes. The reported modification follows a wider trend in the war where similar cage-like protective systems are used on land and around key assets. On battlefields, such cages are commonly mounted on or near vehicles and structures to help blunt or disrupt incoming drones or projectiles. According to the reporting, the additional protection is intended to improve survivability against detection and strike attempts that reach targets farther from front lines. The sources describe the cages as a defensive measure rather than a change in submarine propulsion or offensive capability. The claims are attributed to Western intelligence assessments, and the information is presented as a development in Russia’s defensive preparations rather than as independently confirmed, on-the-ground evidence.