Baltic states are asking EU for additional funds to combat drones
Drone Industry
Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have asked the European Commission for additional funding to strengthen their capabilities to combat drones.
This is reported by Censor.NET, citing a statement by Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas to Reuters.
The Baltic States are asking the EU to strengthen protection against drones
According to Kaunas, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia want to strengthen their capabilities to counter drones. The countries are also considering joint purchases of the necessary equipment.
The appeal to the European Commission stems from concerns about drones entering the airspace of the Baltic region during Russia’s war against Ukraine.
According to Reuters, Ukraine has recently stepped up its use of long-range drones to attack targets in Russia. Some of these drones entered the airspace of the Baltic states during such attacks.
Kaunas did not specify the exact amount of funding requested. At the same time, the Finnish newspaper Iltalehti reported that the figure could be 500 million euros. The Lithuanian minister did not confirm this figure.
The Baltic countries are planning joint procurement
Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia are considering the possibility of jointly procuring equipment to counter drones. They plan to give preference to products from the European defense industry.
"We are considering the possibility of jointly purchasing this equipment, giving preference to the European defense industry," Kaunas said.
According to him, this approach should strengthen the resilience of the three countries and, at the same time, contribute to the development of Europe's defense industry.
Recently, there has also been talk in the countries on NATO’s eastern flank about possible scenarios of escalation by Russia.
NATO had previously stated its readiness to respond to any provocations or attacks by Russia. A NATO general emphasized that the organization is prepared to counter a potential escalation on Europe’s eastern flank.
