Europe plans 'drone wall' against Russia using Ukrainian tech – FT
Photo: EU will build a wall of drones for protection from Putin (Getty Images)
The European Union is accelerating the creation of a "drone wall" on the eastern border. Ukraine shared technologies that have already proven effective against Russian attacks, according to the Financial Times.
As the media outlet notes, the occasion was new incidents of airspace violations of NATO by Russian unmanned aerial vehicles.
Recent events in Poland and Romania showed that the Alliance has to use expensive weapons against cheap drones, which creates a vulnerability that Moscow can use.
To close this gap, Brussels proposed that EU countries use joint financing and procure proven systems.
Von der Leyen’s Plan
After the attack, when about 19 drones flew into Poland, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared that Europe must "build a drone wall." According to her, this will be "a European capability developed together, deployed together, and sustained together, that can respond in real time."
She also announced the creation of a "drone alliance" with Kyiv. To this end, €6 billion has been set aside for transforming Ukrainian efforts into military advantages and joint production.
Strengthening the Eastern flank
Poland, the Baltic states, and Finland have already declared plans to strengthen borders. However, European officials emphasize that this will be effective only under a unified approach and integration of technologies.
"Europe’s defence posture is too fragmented, but this particular area is where we really need to see much more coordination," noted an EU representative. According to him, Russia will exploit weak places if countries act incoherently.
Funding and new missions
For the defense of the eastern flank, NATO countries will receive almost €100 billion from EU common loans of €150 billion. These funds will help finance the “drone wall” project, said EU Commission representative Thomas Renier.
Meanwhile, NATO has launched the mission Eastern Sentry. It includes fighters, ships, and surveillance systems, placed from Finland to Bulgaria.
Ukrainian experience
Europe actively uses Ukraine’s experience in countering unmanned aerial vehicles. Kyiv, from the beginning of the full-scale invasion, developed cheaper methods of fighting kamikaze drones.
Ukrainian IT companies have developed a system of acoustic sensors that identify Shaheds by sound. Information is passed to mobile groups with anti-aircraft guns and machine guns, which is much cheaper than using missiles.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed to Poland the training of specialists in fighting drones. In Warsaw, they confirmed that negotiations are underway about expanding cooperation in this field.
Baltic and Finnish example
Lithuania is already adopting Ukraine’s practices and forming mobile groups to fight drones. Latvia is also implementing an acoustic system, and Romania is studying how to adapt the Ukrainian experience.
"It was too costly to use expensive weaponry such as fighters and missiles. That’s why we’re pushing cheaper and smarter solutions," said Lithuania’s Deputy Minister of Defence Karolis Aleksa.
In Finland, it is emphasized that drone warfare has changed the character of modern conflicts. "There certainly is a need to develop new countermeasures, especially against unmanned systems. Some options already exist and are in use, but new technologies and methods are needed," said General Markku Viitasaar.
We remind that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the European Union will allocate €6 billion from frozen Russian assets and create a new cooperation format, Drone Alliance.
The EU has already provided Ukraine with military aid of €63 billion. The total sum amounts to €170 billion.
