The European Union is working on a plan to establish what it calls a “drone wall” — a defense system along the bloc’s eastern flank meant to repel unmanned aircraft from Russia.
Details are scant, because the effort is in its early stages. Given the rash of recent Russian drone incursions into European airspace, officials have an incentive to move quickly.
The idea is expected to be discussed on Wednesday in Copenhagen as leaders from across the 27-nation bloc gather to talk about trade and defense.
Here’s what we know about the plan:
How did the idea come about?
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Union’s executive arm, floated the idea of an “eastern flank watch,” including the drone wall, in her annual state of the union speech last month. The proposal had an immediate sense of urgency. Russian drones had entered Polish airspace that same day. Later in September, Romania reported a Russian drone incursion, and Russian fighter jets entered the skies over Estonia.
A kickoff planning call took place last week, joined by representatives of nations near Russia — Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Poland, Slovakia and Finland — as well as Denmark, which currently holds an E.U. leadership role.
“We need to act now — Europe must deliver a strong and united response to Russia’s drone incursions at our borders,” Ms. von der Leyen said on Tuesday. “That is why we will propose immediate actions to create the drone wall.”
What is a drone wall, and what would it do?
Many countries already have or are working on anti-drone technologies. The goal in this case would be a joint shield to better detect, track and intercept drones when they enter airspace over the European Union or one of its close allies.
The wall would not be a physical barrier, but rather a coordinated network of drone trackers — potentially using tools like radar, jammers and acoustic sensors — along with improved information and data sharing.
“We have to keep our skies safe,” said Mark Rutte, the secretary general of NATO, which is working with the European Union and its member states on the project. “The drone wall initiative is timely and necessary. In the end, we cannot spend millions of euros or dollars on missiles to take out the drones, which are only costing a couple of thousand of dollars.”
What exactly the drone wall might look like and how it would be paid for are up for debate, as is the timeline for completing it. The project would draw on expertise developed in Ukraine, which has already been advising its European allies about it.
European officials are still discussing the details, Andrius Kubilius, the Lithuanian commissioner responsible for defense and space, said after last week’s meeting.
One “immediate priority,” Mr. Kubilius said, is advanced detection, “which clearly we lack in some places.”
The drone wall would be part of a broader initiative aimed at better policing the European Union’s eastern reaches. That push could also include improved maritime security in the Baltic and Black Seas and real-time space surveillance, which would improve the bloc’s ability to track military movements.
Why does Europe want this?
Europe was already on edge before the recent drone incursions. Russia has been spending nearly 7 percent of its gross domestic product on its military and is rapidly conscripting men into its army. As the war in Ukraine drags on, this year has been marked by uncertainty about President Trump’s commitment to Ukraine, NATO and European security.
So Europe is trying to send a message of preparedness, if nothing else. But experts say timing is critical.
“We cannot wait one year for this to become operational,” Anders Fogh Rasmussen, a former NATO secretary general, told reporters last week.
Already, though, some European leaders have expressed skepticism that an effective joint project could be cobbled together so quickly.
“We should pay attention to manage expectations,” Boris Pistorius, Germany’s defense minister, said this week. “We are not talking about a concept that will be realized in the next three or four years.”
Who would pay for it?
The idea is that the European Union will help to finance the project, although exactly how is unclear.
“We will build a comprehensive E.U. financial toolbox to make this shield a reality,” Mr. Kubilius said in a statement last week.
Some member states want the bloc to play a particularly active role. Poland’s deputy prime minister said that “the E.U. should launch a completely new program encompassing grants and subsidies, not just loans.”
Estonia’s defense minister, Hanno Pevkur, said the union should help member states acquire new military systems to create the drone wall.
“At the moment, it seems that this front door, which is the eastern flank countries, this front door, has to be closed,” Mr. Pevkur said. “So we need to close it firmly.”
What degree of support is politically feasible remains to be seen. That could become clearer after the meeting in Copenhagen on Wednesday.
Lara Jakes and Christopher F. Schuetze contributed reporting.
Jeanna Smialek is the Brussels bureau chief for The Times.
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