European Drone Incursions Prompt NATO, EU Response

European countries including Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Denmark, Germany and Belgium have reported waves of unauthorized drone incursions and flyovers in recent weeks, sometimes as swarms (about 15 drones over Belgium’s Elsenborn base), prompting airport closures and NATO investigations. Many officials and observers identify the systems as Iranian-style Shahed loitering munitions or Russian-made variants and treat most incidents as intentional probes of NATO defenses, with Poland’s prime minister calling the flights a form of war. Belarus has emerged as a transit zone for hundreds of Russian drones, forcing Minsk to weigh downing or jamming them against the risk of angering Moscow while warning neighboring states. The spike has accelerated EU and NATO debate over a technically complex and costly “drone wall” — a network of radars, AI, jammers, interceptors and hunter drones — though members question its feasibility, cost and overlap with national systems. Estonia and private startups, many partnering with Ukraine and supported by EU funds, are already building detection and defeat systems, but officials say capability gaps remain and are pressing allies, including the United States, for clearer support.