'We cannot wait': EU calls for drone wall to deter Russia after new incident in Denmark

The European Commission has reaffirmed its volition to physique a drone defence strategy on the bloc's eastbound flank to deter Russia from violating communal airspace and respond rapidly to immoderate specified incursions.

In little than 1 month, Russian craft person violated the airspace of 3 subordinate states – Poland, Romania and Estonia – putting the continent on precocious alert. The acts coincide with intensifying barrages connected Ukrainian civilians.

On Monday, 2 to 3 ample drones were spotted astatine Copenhagen Airport, prompting a shutdown successful operations for astir 4 hours. The airdrome aboriginal reopened but warned of delays and cancelled departures. Norway's Oslo Airport was besides disrupted.

Police said they refrained from shooting down the craft due to the fact that the hazard was excessively great, fixed the airdrome was astatine afloat capableness and planes were stationed adjacent substance depots.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the incidental "the astir superior onslaught connected Danish captious infrastructure to date" and said she could not regularisation retired Russian involvement.

On Tuesday, the Commission built connected the events to telephone for the drone wall, a caller inaugural archetypal unveiled by President Ursula von der Leyen successful her State of the EU speech.

"For those who inactive doubted the request to person a drone partition successful the European Union, well, present we get different illustration of however important it is," said Thomas Regnier, the Commission's spokesperson for defence policy.

"The latest attacks successful Romania, successful Poland, successful Estonia, present successful Denmark, 4 subordinate states person been targeted. This is precisely wherefore we volition beryllium moving connected this drone wall."

The task volition bring unneurotic 7 subordinate states connected the eastbound flank: Estonia, Latvia. Finland, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, unneurotic with Ukraine, which has developed a technological borderline connected drone manufacturing during the war.

Denmark has present joined the initiative, Regnier announced.

By contrast, Hungary and Slovakia, which stock a borderline with Ukraine, are not portion of the project. Brussels has said the discussions could beryllium expanded astatine a aboriginal stage.

The archetypal gathering is scheduled to instrumentality spot connected Friday betwixt nationalist representatives and Andrius Kubilius, the European Commissioner for defence. The talks are expected to shed airy connected existing capabilities, subject gaps and fiscal needs.

'Russia is investigating the European borders'

It remains unclear however the drone partition mightiness work successful practice and what costs it mightiness incur. The task is meant to absorption connected some detection and intervention.

The Commission is rolling retired a €150 cardinal indebtedness programme to boost defence spending, which could beryllium mobilised to beforehand home accumulation of drones, Regnier explained. Poland is the largest recipient, with astir €44 cardinal tentatively allocated.

"Technical enactment is ongoing. Reflection is besides ongoing. We volition not instrumentality the determination ourselves. Member states are successful the driving seat," the spokesperson told reporters.

"The 2 main factors that the Commission is asking itself, of course, are: 1 broadside is the detection of incoming drones, and past the 2nd element, which is afloat linked to that, is however to respond past erstwhile we observe one."

Regnier did not specify the motorboat day of the drone partition but noted: "Recent events amusement that we cannot beryllium present and hold for things to hap earlier we request to act."

Meanwhile, Anitta Hipper, the Commission's spokesperson for overseas affairs, said the erstwhile incursions into Polish, Romanian and Estonian airspace suggest that Russia mightiness besides beryllium down the incidental astatine the Copenhagen airport.

"We inactive request to hold for the last result (of the investigation), but what we person seen passim the past weeks points retired to Russia successful presumption of their reckless actions successful astatine slightest 3 subordinate states," Hipper said.

"Here, we spot a wide pattern: Russia is investigating the European borders, besides probing our resoluteness and undermining our information throughout."

Separately connected Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte cautioned it was "too early" to find who was down the incidental successful Copenhagen.

"We bash not privation to spot a continuation of this unsafe signifier by Russia, intentional oregon not, but we basal acceptable and consenting to proceed to support each inch of allied territory," helium said successful a property conference.

The drone partition responds to Europe's profound rethink of defence argumentation caused by Russia's full-scale penetration of Ukraine and the re-election of President Donald Trump, who has said the US would nary longer beryllium the superior guarantor of European security.