European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned Tuesday that a spate of drone incursions into Baltic airspace is not a series of isolated incidents but a deliberate Russian strategy to destabilize Europe.
Standing alongside the presidents of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia in Vilnius, von der Leyen said: "This is a deliberate strategy from Russia trying to destabilise our democratic societies. When Baltic states are being tested, Europe as a whole is being tested."
At least six incursions have been recorded since May, prompting political upheaval. Latvia's prime minister and defense minister resigned after a failure to respond. A major incident in Lithuania sent its president and prime minister to underground bunkers. Romanian F-16s intercepted a Ukrainian drone over Estonian airspace; Ukraine apologized.
Romanian Foreign Minister Oana-Silvia Țoiu told Euronews that two of the drones carried explosives and that Russia is responsible for GPS jamming that contributed to the incidents. "It is totally unacceptable," she said.
The incursions have exposed gaps in Europe's air defenses. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda conceded the skies "are not sufficiently secure."
To counter the threat, the European Commission has earmarked €800 billion for defense by 2030, with a "drone wall" of AI-guided interceptors and 5G radar systems set for 2027. The Baltic states will receive €12 billion under the SAFE loan program.
Von der Leyen called for closer NATO cooperation to identify and fill critical gaps in counter-drone and early warning systems. "The era of the peace dividend is long gone," she said.
Analysts say the hybrid warfare-including disinformation campaigns and cable-cutting-is designed to frighten populations and weaken support for Ukraine. Russia, struggling on the battlefield, is becoming more dangerous as it grows more desperate.