Europe plans continent-wide drone defense wall as tensions with Moscow rise

Europe's defense ministers are preparing to discuss a continent-wide drone wall to counter Moscow's aerial incursions as Russia warns that any strike on its aircraft would trigger direct conflict with NATO. Ten nations, including Denmark, Finland, Poland and the Baltic states, will join Ukraine at a Brussels summit to thrash out plans that EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has described as the bedrock of credible defence. The talks come after swarms of drones forced airports to close across Scandinavia and as Moscow faces accusations of launching a campaign of hybrid attacks across Europe.

At the heart of the plan is a push to create joint systems capable of detecting and destroying drones that threaten civilian and military infrastructure. The European Commission has signaled that the cost of the drone wall could be covered by its €150 billion Security Action for Europe loans scheme. Danish defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen described what he called a hybrid attack, noting four airports were disrupted by drones on a single night and saying the operation appeared deliberately coordinated and professional. He added that the arms race against evolving drone technology is a race against time. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has spoken with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte about the serious situation related to drones over Danish airports, and Copenhagen passengers faced disruptions as drones loomed over runways. NATO and European officials acknowledge that spotting and countering small, fast-moving drones is a major technical challenge; authorities say they must first detect intrusions and then determine how best to counter them.

Poland's government has been the most vocal on escalation. Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that the situation represents the closest the alliance has come to open conflict since World War II, and he pledged that Warsaw would shoot down hostile objects over Ukrainian territory when they violate Polish airspace. Poland has already downed three Russian drones that crossed into NATO territory in recent weeks. Tusk urged allied unity in ambiguous cases, stressing that any action would be coordinated with partners and taken with caution to avoid unintended consequences. The Polish stance comes as Polish authorities stress they will act decisively to defend their skies, while seeking to maintain a unified approach among NATO members.

Russia's posture has been equally pointed. Moscow has warned that shooting down Russian planes would constitute war. The Russian ambassador to France said such an action would be an act of war, and Moscow's foreign minister accused NATO of waging a real war on Russia by supporting Ukraine. In statements to RTL, Russian official Alexei Meshkov argued that NATO planes breach Russian airspace with some frequency, though he asserted they are not shot down, and he warned that shooting them down would provoke a military response. At the same time, Sergei Lavrov, speaking at the G20 foreign ministers meeting, argued that the crisis in Ukraine was provoked by the West and that NATO and the EU have declared a real war on Russia and are directly involved in the conflict.

Estonia reported three Russian fighter jets entering its airspace on Friday, and Romania said a border region had been struck by a drone in recent days. Sweden released images showing a Russian MIG-31 flying above the Baltic Sea after violating Estonian airspace, underscoring the wider pattern of incursions that European officials describe as deliberate provocations aimed at unsettling NATO. Britain has also stepped in, with the Royal Navy shadowing the Russian frigate Neustrashimy and the cargo ship Sparta IV through the English Channel as part of a broader display of deterrence.

Officials say the Kremlin is carefully calibrating incidents that fall short of a full-scale attack but still provoke NATO responses, raising concerns about spillover into neighboring countries and the potential for miscalculation. In remarks that align with broader Western warnings, U.S. President Donald Trump told the United Nations that NATO states could shoot down Russian aircraft if they intruded on their airspace, adding another layer to an already tense security landscape. Separately, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov argued that the West has escalated the Ukraine crisis by its actions, a claim echoed by Moscow in various international forums. The evolving dynamic has left European capitals weighing deterrence, alliance unity and the practicalities of counter-drone technology as they seek to prevent a broader confrontation.