Yesterday, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, confirmed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are deploying in Denmark a mission to spread knowledge about countering drones, which will later form the basis of the future European ‘Drone Wall’. The New York Times reports that this concerns a defense system along the EU’s eastern flank aimed at repelling drones from Russia. At present, incidents of unidentified UAVs being detected are forcing Europeans to act faster, so the leaders of the 27 countries will meet in Copenhagen to discuss the next steps.
The idea of monitoring the eastern flank belongs to Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, and at the time of its emergence it seemed urgent: that day Russian drones entered Polish airspace for the first time. Since then, events have repeated with Romania, and three Russian MiG-31 fighters broke into Estonia. Soon there was the first planning call among the leaders of Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Poland, Slovakia and Finland, as well as Denmark, which currently chairs the EU.
What is the ‘Drone Wall’ and why does it matter
Many countries already have or are developing their own technologies for UAVs. The main goal is to create a shared defense shield for more effective detection, tracking, and interception of drones that violate the EU’s airspace. This is not a physical barrier, but a coordinated network of surveillance and data-sharing systems, with the ability to integrate radars, jammers, and acoustic sensors.
Today, discussions are ongoing about technical specifications, funding sources, and implementation timelines. It is known only that Ukrainian experience will form the basis of this project, and among the priorities is enhanced threat detection.
The media note that this precautionary measure is only part of a broader NATO eastern flank strategy. Among other possible steps are strengthening maritime security in the Baltic and Black Seas and implementing real-time space surveillance systems to track military movements.
“Europe is trying to send a signal of readiness for Russian provocations”
– The New York Times
Among NATO allies, attention to responses to violations of Russian airspace is growing. Specifically, according to the media, Poland may give its forces a “green light” to shoot down Russian drones and aircraft over Belarus and Ukraine. Moscow warned that such a decision could escalate into a military confrontation between the Russian Federation and NATO. At the same time, analysts caution that modern drones, such as Shahed and Geran, are already capable of strikes against European countries, including Scandinavia, Italy, Germany, and France.