Russia probes NATO air defenses with drone flights across Europe – ISW
Photo: Russia is preparing for military conflict with NATO countries (Getty Images)
The Russian Federation is testing NATO's air defenses and collecting information to potentially use it in a future war with the Alliance, according to a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
It is noted that European states are dealing with unidentified, likely Russian, drone activity in border areas and near infrastructure.
On September 25, NATO Air Command scrambled two Hungarian Gripen fighter jets to intercept Russian Su-30, Su-35, and MiG-31 aircraft flying close to Latvian airspace without entering it.
On the night of September 25–26, several unidentified drones were spotted in Germany near the German-Danish border in the northern federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. The state's Interior Minister Sabine Sütterlin-Waack stated that local authorities are investigating the incident, as the origin of the drones remains unclear.
On September 25, AFP, citing a delegation from the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, reported that unidentified drones flew over the Murmelon-le-Grand military base in the Marne department of France. The involvement of foreign states has not yet been established.
That same day, Denmark's national police reported a temporary closure of Aalborg Airport on the northern outskirts of the Jutland peninsula due to unidentified drone activity. The airport is also used by the Danish military.
On September 25, the Director General of the Danish Security and Intelligence Service, Finn Borch Andersen, said the agency has not yet determined who launched the drones. However, he noted that these incidents resemble a pattern of hybrid warfare observed in other parts of Europe and added that Denmark assesses the risk of Russian sabotage as high.
Swedish authorities confirmed several drone sightings on September 25 near the naval base in the city of Karlskrona.
The Institute for the Study of War noted that European officials have not directly accused Russia of violating European airspace.
At the same time, according to experts, the recent rise in hostile drone activity, combined with Russia's ongoing airspace intrusions and shows of force against NATO countries, provides grounds to suspect Moscow's involvement in the incidents with unidentified drones.
"ISW continues to assess that Russia is pursuing a campaign to test NATO air defenses and political will as part of a broader effort to collect actionable intelligence that Russia may then apply to a potential future conflict against NATO," the report said.
Russian provocations with aircraft
In recent weeks, violations of NATO airspace by Russian military aircraft have become more frequent.
On Wednesday, September 24, Russian Su-35 fighter jets and Tu-95MS bombers flew in international airspace adjacent to the airspace of the United States and Canada.
That same day, a Russian fighter jet flew at low altitude over a German Navy frigate.
On September 19, three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace for 12 minutes and flew near Tallinn.
Unidentified drone flights
In addition, in recent weeks a number of unidentified drone flights have been recorded over several European countries.
On the night of September 25, drones were observed over Danish airports in Aalborg, Esbjerg, Sønderborg, and over the Skrydstrup Air Base.
The incident led to the suspension of operations at Aalborg Airport.
On September 22, Copenhagen Airport also suspended operations due to a similar incident with unidentified drones.
Drones were also spotted over the Murmelon-le-Grand military base in northeastern France.
On September 10, around 20 Russian drones entered the airspace of eastern Poland.
The Center for Countering Disinformation does not rule out that through such drone provocations, Russia is attempting to paralyze air traffic between European countries.
