Europe is in gray zone between war and peace due to Russian drone incursions, - WSJ
In recent weeks, Europe has been hit by a wave of drone intrusions that have grounded flights and disrupted critical infrastructure security.
This was reported by The Wall Street Journal, according to Censor.NET.
As noted, Germany records an average of three cases per day of drones appearing over military facilities, defense industry enterprises, and other strategic areas.
Increased pressure from Russia on Europe
Experts believe that such actions are part of Russia's intensified campaign against Europe in response to its support for Ukraine. Drones, cyberattacks, and sabotage allow aggressors to act covertly without provoking open conflict. "Opponents have calculated that they can hide behind ambiguity and denial to violate sovereignty, ignore national laws and international norms, and engage in activities such as political pressure, sabotage, and even murder without provoking an armed response," said former CIA official Dave Pitts.
The reason for the appearance of drones over the EU
The increase in drone incursions is linked to EU initiatives, in particular plans to use frozen Russian assets to finance the Ukrainian army. The German and Belgian defense ministers note that the drones are deliberately mapping military and civilian infrastructure.
Although most drones do not pose a direct threat to people, their presence near airports seriously affects flight safety. Passenger planes are not designed to collide with drones, and even a small UAV can damage the cockpit or fuel tank.
Interception of drones
Intercepting drones in Europe is complicated by their small size and low flight altitude. This requires video cameras, radio receivers, and acoustic sensors, which are often expensive to maintain. At the same time, shooting down drones is difficult and legally risky, especially in densely populated areas where responsibility is shared between the military and the police.
Russian drones over Europe
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that systematic violations of EU airspace by Russian drones are part of the hybrid war that Russia is waging against Europe.
In September 2025, Russia significantly intensified its hybrid attacks on European countries, particularly NATO members, using drones and military aircraft to violate their airspace.
On September 7, a Russian helicopter violated Estonia's airspace. The Estonian Defense Forces General Staff reported that a Mi-8 helicopter entered the country's airspace without permission in the vicinity of Vaindloo Island. The helicopter did not have a flight plan, and its transponder was turned off.
On September 10, about 20 Russian drones invaded Polish airspace. Some of them were shot down by NATO fighter jets.
A Russian drone penetrated 10 km into Romanian airspace, remaining there for about 50 minutes. The incident occurred on September 13.
On the night of September 17, the Polish Border Guard recorded increased activity by Belarusian and Russian drones attempting to violate Polish airspace.
Three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace for 12 minutes on September 19.
Twice, on September 23 and 26, Copenhagen Airport suspended operations due to the detection of large drones nearby. The airport is also used as an air base for the Danish Air Force.
In addition, unknown drones were spotted in the evening and at night on September 24-25. A group of drones flew in areas where Danish military facilities are located.
During flights of unknown drones over airports and military facilities in Denmark, a Russian Navy ship was spotted at sea near the country.
On the night of September 25-26, two unidentified drones were spotted over the Karlskrona archipelago in Sweden. The main base of the Swedish Navy is located there.
An unidentified drone was also spotted above a hydroelectric power station near Rovaniemi in Finland.
On Saturday afternoon, September 27, Schiphol, the main airport in the Netherlands, closed its runway for about 45 minutes after a drone was spotted there.
