EU to Discuss ‘Drone Wall’ to Counter Russian Airspace Incursions

BERLIN – European defence ministers will convene next week to discuss specifics of a planned “drone wall” designed to protect the continent from incursions into its airspace originating from Russia, Reuters reported on Thursday.

The initiative gained urgency following recent violations of Polish airspace by Russian strike drones, which damaged at least one house.

“We want to move ahead with very intensive and effective preparations to start filling this gap, which is very dangerous for us… as quickly as we can,” EU Defense Commissioner Andrius kubilius, a Lithuanian national, told Reuters.

Kubilius has publicly supported a drone wall for longer than EU leadership has outwardly embraced the project, and he will convene next week’s meeting.

The concept of a “drone wall” along Europe’s eastern border originated with Lithuania in May 2023, when then-Lithuanian Interior minister Agnė Bilotaitė first proposed the initiative as part of a broader effort to enhance border surveillance and defense across NATO’s eastern flank. By May 2024, six NATO countries, including the three Baltic states, Poland, Norway, and Finland, agreed to cooperate on the project.

A joint Estonian-Lithuanian proposal received no EU funding this spring. However, the mood in Brussels shifted after approximately 20