Russia has criticized the European Union’s plans to strengthen drone defenses, warning that the bloc’s response to drone incursions at its borders could escalate tensions.
Defense ministers from ten EU countries recently agreed to prioritize what they call a “drone wall”, following multiple airspace violations in recent weeks, which several member states have attributed to Russia.
Drone incursions have forced the closure of several airports, raising concerns over airspace security.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said the measures would lead to “an increase in political and military tensions in our continent,” according to state news agency RIA Novosti. The Russian Foreign Ministry described the plans as “personal ambitions and political games of the EU’s ruling elites.”
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen first proposed the “drone wall” earlier this month, hours after NATO shot down Russian drones in Poland. The EU emphasized that it can learn from Ukraine, which faces daily Russian drone attacks and has developed cost-effective countermeasures.
Moscow denies violating NATO airspace, calling the EU response “hysteria,” and claimed that there is no evidence that the drones entering European airspace were Russian.
