EU leaders discuss the construction of a “drone wall” after a “hybrid attack”

The leaders of the European Union meet in Copenhagen, Denmark, Wednesday for informal talks on the trade, war in Ukraine and the group’s security in 27 countries. The leaders will also talk about what is called a “drone wall” to defend themselves against recent intrusions by alleged Russian drones that have wreaked havoc.

Several European countries have seen mysterious drones in their airspace in recent weeks, including incidents in Denmark last week which temporarily closed airports. Danish officials did not officially blame Russia, but described drones as part of a “hybrid attack” which also included cyber attacks.

NATO fighter planes shot down Russian drones in Poland last month, when experts warned President Vladimir Putin testing the limits in Europe. President Donald Trump tweeted: “Let’s go!” About the incident without giving other explanations.

Russia has upset the countries aligned by NATO when Europe promises to increase support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and there is no end for the massacre. President Donald Trump promised to end the war before he even took office in January, but that did not happen, and Europe was forced to help Ukraine more than ever while the United States fell in international leadership under the authoritarian government of Trump.

German officials also announced Wednesday that they were investigating drones identified near critical infrastructure in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, which shares a land border with Denmark. The drones of “different types and sizes” were identified in the German state last week above sites such as a power plant, a hospital, government buildings and an oil refinery, according to the Associated Press. Drones were also spotted on a military base in the city of Sanitz, also in the north of the country.

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the EU Commission, first raised the idea of ​​a drone wall during a speech in September, saying that it is not an abstract ambition for the future. “This is the foundation of credible defense,” she insisted.

“The eastern flank of Europe ensures all of Europe. From the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea,” said Von Der Leyen. “This is why we must invest in supporting it through an eastern flank watch.

The wall would not be a physical barrier but rather a system that follows the planes entering a given area. The anti-drone system could deploy jamming technology to eliminate planes or even use more aggressive methods. The German DW media, for example, recently explained how laser weapons could be used in a drone wall system.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced during the weekend that the government planned to authorize the security forces to shoot drones. But there have been difficult questions of domestic security on how to get there.

The government must modify the aviation security law of Germany, adopted for the first time in 2005, to allow soldiers to shoot drones when the local police are unable to accomplish the task, according to Politico. The existing law only allows the police to use radio jamming equipment or nets to eliminate drones.

Drones can become expensive if you use the wrong tool. For example, in 2024, the American army frequently used missiles which can cost $ 2 million each to shoot Houthi drones in the Red Sea which cost about $ 2,000. But the military began to deploy lasers to shoot down these drones, which are much cheaper, between $ 1 and $ 5 per blow, according to DW. And that is why the German media speak of lasers at a time like this.

The drawback, however, to use lasers is that they have a limited scope and do not work well in bad weather. The United States first killed a drone during a New Mexico test in 1973.

As the New York Times notes, there are not many details accessible to the public to give an overview of what a drone wall in Europe could look like. There is also no calendar for when it could be built. But the Times notes that any drone wall would probably count on the expertise of Ukraine, who learned a lot about the detection of drones during his war against Russia.

Although there are concerns about drone intrusions, some leaders have also warned of the excessive reaction of everything and everything in the sky. Mass hysteria can become uncontrollable, as we saw in the United States when drones were spotted on New Jersey at the end of 2024.

“I will explicitly say that all drones controlled by foreign powers are not automatically a threat,” the Minister of the Interior of Germany, Alexander Dobrindt said on Monday, said on the AP.

Russia has denied that he is responsible for one of the observations of drones in the EU countries, going so far as to suggest that drones spotted on Denmark were recently part of a false flag attack.

“Suspicions against Russia are not on the ground,” tweeted the Russian Embassy in Denmark. “The incident in the sky above Copenhagen airport reveals a clear desire to cause NATO countries in a direct military confrontation with Russia. It is unacceptable to look into this. ”

But the EU meeting on Wednesday does not only concern the defense of the drone. European leaders also discuss the seizure of Russian assets to help finance a loan of around 164 billion dollars in Ukraine, according to Reuters. The concern is, however, that the seizure of Russian funds in Europe would lead people to withdraw their money from the EU countries to fear that it will be confiscated on a whim.