EU Accelerates Drone Wall After Wider Incursions

Following multiple recent incursions — including Russian airspace violations of Poland, Romania and Estonia and drone disruptions at Copenhagen and Oslo airports — the European Commission and President Ursula von der Leyen have accelerated plans for an EU “drone wall” to deter and rapidly respond to such attacks. Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said detection systems could be deployed in “somewhere around a year,” while building a full network able to track and destroy drones across land and sea will take much longer. The initial project will bring together eastern‑flank states and Ukraine — Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria — with Denmark now joining, though some neighbours have not signed up. Officials and experts urge integrating Ukraine’s counter‑drone expertise, including acoustic sensors and low‑cost laser options, because the EU currently lacks adequate detection, tracking and neutralisation capabilities. The Commission plans to propose funding options at an Oct. 1 informal leaders' meeting and says member states will remain in the driving seat as it assesses capabilities, needs and next steps.