Europe Still ‘Not Ready’ to Counter Russian Drone Attacks

Darwin, 19 November –

Europe is still not adequately prepared to defend itself against potential Russian drone attacks, warned EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius.

He said Europe must integrate Ukraine’s battlefield-tested capabilities into its own defence systems, adding that failure to do so would be a “historic mistake.”

The remarks were reported by AFP on Monday.

Speaking in Vilnius, Kubilius said that although NATO accelerated efforts to strengthen drone defence across Europe after shooting down a Russian drone over Poland last September, progress has been “far too slow.”

He questioned, “Why did it take us more than two years—and repeated Russian drone provocations against Poland, the Baltic states, and Romania—to realise that we are still not ready to detect and destroy Russian drones in a cost-effective way?”

He added pointedly, “Russia is learning. Are we?”

Following the incident in Poland, NATO deployed additional troops and drone defence systems along its eastern flank. The EU is also planning to build a unified drone defence architecture, though no final blueprint has been prepared and implementation is expected to take significant time.

Kubilius stressed that while Europe is busy addressing its defence shortcomings, it must recognise the importance of Ukraine’s nearly 800,000 battle-hardened soldiers and their expertise as part of a broader European security framework.

“Failing to do so would be a historic error—one that would weaken both Europe and Ukraine,” he argued.

European intelligence agencies have also warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin may attempt attacks on NATO countries after the war in Ukraine, prompting the EU to accelerate its defence preparations.