“The repeated violations of our airspace are unacceptable. The message is clear: Russia is challenging the EU and NATO,” Kubilius said. “Our response must be decisive, united and immediate.”
With that, Kubilius was referring to incidents in recent times. For example, Russian drones violated Polish airspace, with NATO aircraft intervening. In addition, Russian MiG fighter jets briefly flew into Estonian airspace.
A Russian drone was also spotted over Romania, and airports in Denmark had to close temporarily due to drone activity. Concerns about European security increased after those incidents.
The so-called drone wall is supposed to provide protection by detecting, tracking and disabling drones in a controlled manner. This requires sensors, radars and command and control structures, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen said.
Setting up a network of detectors is the highest priority, Kubilius said. According to him, this is “crucial.” In addition, cheaper and effective ways to destroy drones should be sought without deploying fighter jets, the Eurocommissioner said.
The cost and financing of the drone wall are still unknown. That will be worked out in the near future, as will the technical details. According to Kubilius, Ukrainian expertise will be used in the process. He wants to gather sufficient political support for the plan before the EU summit in late October.
