European Union officials and frontline member states are accelerating discussions on creating a so-called “drone wall” to protect the eastern border following a string of Russian airspace violations involving both aircraft and drones.
On Friday, representatives from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria are set to meet with Ukraine and European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius to discuss the proposal, according to the European Commission. The meeting will focus on assessing needs, capabilities and possible EU support measures.
The renewed urgency follows a September 19 incident when three Russian jets violated Estonian airspace for 12 minutes before being intercepted by Italian F-35s and earlier Russian drone incursions into Poland that Polish and NATO forces responded to.
“Recent attacks and incursions have already occurred in Romania and Poland,” Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said, noting the project is a direct follow-up to President Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the Union pledge to back an EU-funded drone wall.
Kubilius told Reuters he will also convene a separate video conference with Eastern European defence ministers and a Ukrainian representative to advance the idea.
“We want really to move ahead with very, very intensive and effective preparations to start to fill this gap, which is really very dangerous for us… as quickly as we can do it,” he said.
The commissioner, a former Lithuanian prime minister, described the envisioned system as a mix of sensors, jamming equipment and weapons to detect and neutralise drones.
He added that Ukraine could contribute lessons learned from its extensive counter-UAS operations since Russia’s 2022 invasion. Ukrainian Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal has already announced plans for joint training between Ukrainian and Polish forces on counter-drone measures.
Discussions are still at an early stage, with cost and timelines not yet clear. Analysts have suggested such a network could be established within a year, though a previous €12 million joint funding request from Estonia and Lithuania was rejected by the Commission earlier this summer. EU leaders are expected to revisit financing options at an October 1 meeting in Copenhagen.
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Post Image – Andrius Kubilius, Commissioner for Defence and Space, former Member of the European Parliament, attends defense technology exhibition (Post Image Credit: Mykhailo Fedorov via X)
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