The story
Coined in 2022 to refer to the structures placed on Russian tank turrets during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The word cope is used mockingly (referring to the slang meaning of cope: "delusion, coping mechanism"), as the cages were perceived to be ineffective against much of the weaponry used by the Ukrainian forces, such as Javelin anti-tank missiles.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.