Kubilius warned of the threat of Russian drones to EU civil aviation

Russian provocations using drones and sabotage are becoming more frequent and create a growing danger for civil aviation in the European Union and neighboring countries. Europe needs to more quickly strengthen its own capabilities to detect and neutralize such threats.

This was stated by EU Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius during a conversation with journalists after the first meeting of the steering board of the EU–Ukraine Drone Alliance in Brussels. 

According to him, the EU must recognize that Russia-related incidents with drones and sabotage are occurring more and more frequently. As a result, the danger is increasing not only for the military or critical infrastructure facilities, but also for ordinary civilian life in the EU member states.

“The situation is becoming increasingly dangerous for civil aviation in neighboring countries as well,” Kubilius said. According to him, this requires the EU to more actively build up defense capabilities, including means of countering drones.

The statement came in response to a journalist's question about the latest incidents in Leipzig and Moldova. The EU Commissioner did not comment in detail on the investigation in Germany, but supported the tough response of the German authorities.

This concerns, in particular, the attempted attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport on August 4. The German government later officially stated that it holds Russia responsible for this hybrid attack. Berlin reported that the conclusion was made on the basis of investigation materials and intelligence information.

Kubilius also mentioned the situation surrounding the recent trip of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky through Moldova. At the same time, the EU Commissioner emphasized that Zelensky himself did not characterize what happened as a direct attack on his plane. According to Kubilius, regardless of Russia's intentions, such episodes show how vulnerable civil aviation is becoming in the countries near Ukraine.

In recent weeks, Moldova has repeatedly detected the appearance of drones near its border. In particular, on August 27, the border police reported several drones that crossed or could have crossed the country's airspace from Ukraine during a Russian attack.

Kubilius named jamming of satellite navigation signals as another risk. He recalled a trip with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen through the countries of the EU's eastern flank: during the flight to Bulgaria, the pilots encountered serious navigation interference. The EU Commissioner emphasized that such actions also pose a direct danger to civilian aircraft.

The first meeting of the EU–Ukraine Drone Alliance took place on September 11. Its steering board includes nine representatives from the European and nine from the Ukrainian side. The Alliance should accelerate the creation of joint ventures and the production of drones and means of countering them, as well as help the European defense industry adopt the Ukrainian experience of rapid technology implementation acquired during the war.

Kubilius noted that the development of anti-drone systems is necessary for the EU not only to support Ukraine. According to him, Europe must be ready to respond to new provocations directly on its own territory and protect airports, military facilities and critical infrastructure.

Based on: European Commission, German government.