Russia is waging a campaign to “unsettle” citizens by flying drones into European airspace, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned Wednesday.“Something new and dangerous is happening in our skies … 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,” von der Leyen said in a speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.“And it is time to call it by its name. This is hybrid warfare.” There has been a surge in reports of unmanned aerial vehicles flying over Europe in the past month, including in Poland, Romania, Germany, Norway and Denmark. Some, such as war drones overflying Poland and Romania, have been identified as Russian, while the origin of others has been harder to determine.In response, Copenhagen last week temporarily banned drone flights, while NATO has launched an Eastern Sentry program to tackle gaps in the alliance’s air defenses. Meanwhile, von der Leyen has pitched building a drone wall to protect Europe against Russia, an idea that has drawn criticism over its feasibility and cost.
But von der Leyen on Wednesday said protecting Europe’s eastern border is not enough, and a broader approach is needed.“Tackling Russia’s hybrid war is not only about traditional defense. It is about software for drones and spare parts for pipelines. It is rapid cyber-response teams and public information campaigns to spread awareness. This requires a new mindset for all of us,” she said.Europe needs to strengthen its defense industry and focus on the initiatives from member countries, such as the Prague-led ammunition initiative to deliver shells to Kyiv, von der Leyen said.
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