European countries on alert after Russian drones breach NATO airspace

New Delhi, Nov 17: Cities across Ukraine continue to face nightly drone attacks, with loudspeaker warnings, incoming Russian drones and heavy anti-aircraft fire becoming a routine part of life.

These explosive drones are now a major part of the war. Concerns are growing beyond Ukraine as unarmed and unidentified drones have been seen around airports, military bases and power stations in several European countries, including Poland, Belgium and Denmark. Security officials believe these sightings may be linked to Russia’s efforts to test the defences of NATO countries that support Ukraine.

The alarm increased sharply on 9 September, when about 20 Russian drones flew into Poland after overshooting Ukraine. Four airports had to close temporarily and NATO jets were sent up to respond. Several drones were shot down, and others crashed in different regions. It was one of the most serious breaches of NATO airspace since the war began. This incident has led to discussions in Europe about creating a “drone wall” to protect sensitive areas from long-range drones such as Russia’s Geran-2, which can travel more than 1,000km. Experts say repeatedly using fighter jets to counter drones would be too costly and inefficient. Meanwhile, mysterious drones continue to appear near key infrastructure across Europe, adding to concerns that the region is being probed for weaknesses far from the active front lines of the war.