Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – On Wednesday, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, noted that recent incidents of drones and airspace violations demonstrate that Europe is now facing hybrid warfare, and Europe must respond to that with more than traditional defence methods.
Several European countries, especially Poland and Estonia, have recently had frequent drone overflights and incursions from Russian military aircraft, and some of these violations of airspace have resulted in airports being temporarily closed and reason for significant disruptions in air traffic across a number of European countries.
Why did von der Leyen call the situation hybrid warfare?
During a speech in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, von der Leyen said,
“This is not random harassment.”
“It is a coherent and escalating campaign to unsettle our citizens, test our resolve, divide our Union, and weaken our support for Ukraine. And it is time to call it by its name. This is hybrid warfare.”
Von der Leyen did not claim Russia was responsible for every incident, but she emphasised that Russia’s goal is to “sow division” across Europe.
“Tackling Russia’s hybrid war is not only about traditional defence,”
von der Leyen said.
“This requires a new mind-set for all of us. We can either shy away and watch Russian threats escalate, or we meet them with unity, deterrence and resolve.”
Which European nations faced recent airspace violations?
Recent drone incidents and other airspace violations in Europe in 2025 have significantly heightened tensions related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In early September 2025, for instance, there were 19 drones in Polish airspace, and NATO acted to defend airspace, shooting down some drones while they crashed in Poland.
Similarly, Estonia reported Russian fighter jets entering its airspace for more than ten minutes near the border in a provocative act. The United States has also announced that Russian leader Putin would be closely monitored for violations of any ceasefire after more than a year of fighting in Ukraine.
Moreover, Lithuania, Latvia, Denmark, Norway, Romania, Germany, and France all reported mysterious drone flights near airports, military bases, and critical infrastructure.
What is the EU’s “drone wall” initiative aiming to achieve?
Countries in the European Union responding to what they hope to develop as the “drone wall” include Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark, and others located along the eastern border of the EU. This is a cooperative effort to unleash a comprehensive and advanced network consisting of drone detection and interception platforms across the region to counter acts of drones and incursions over Russian airspace.
This project aims to develop a coordinated network of sensors, such as radars and cameras, along with radio frequency detectors and acoustic sensors, that will deploy the ability to detect, track, categorise, and neutralise hostile drones entering EU airspace.
