Speaking from Lithuania, Ursula von der Leyen accused Russia of attempting to destabilize European democracies through recent drone-related security alerts in the Baltic states.
Von der Leyen referred to events from a week ago, when Lithuanian authorities urged citizens to seek shelter amid concerns that the country’s airspace could be violated by drones.
“People in the Baltic states have experienced something many believed belonged to another era. Air raid alarms, families taking shelter, school closures, transport disruptions. This is the reality on Europe’s eastern border in 2026,” she said.
“These are not isolated incidents. This is a deliberate strategy by Russia aimed at destabilizing our democratic societies. But, much like on the battlefields of Ukraine, Russia is failing,” Von der Leyen added.
Standing alongside the presidents of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, she acknowledged that the recent wave of air raid and drone alerts had exposed vulnerabilities in Europe’s defense systems.
“What you are experiencing today, the rest of Europe could face tomorrow. We will intensify efforts to address the issue, beginning with more unified warning systems and improved cross-border coordination,” she stated.
Drone alerts have become increasingly frequent in the Baltic region in recent months as Ukraine has intensified strikes against Russian targets. Baltic countries accuse Russia of deliberately redirecting Ukrainian attacks aimed at industrial facilities and fossil fuel infrastructure.
