More drone incursions: how should Europe respond?
After Russian drones entered Polish airspace last Wednesday, further incidents on Nato's external border are heightening the tensions between Moscow and the Western military alliance. The Polish army shot down a drone that had flown over government buildings in Warsaw on Monday night. Two Belarusians have reportedly been arrested in connection with that incident. A Russian drone also penetrated Romania's airspace at the weekend.
Border states need funds from EU
Constructing an effective anti-drone wall will require joint financing, says Kauppalehti:
“The challenge is that it's not enough just to protect the more than 1,300-kilometre-long eastern border, but that drones could also be flown across the Baltic Sea to Finland or could even be launched from Finland, for example from lorries. The more comprehensive the protection needs to be, the higher the costs. ... Last week drones worth thousands of euros were shot down in Poland using missiles that cost millions. ... The good news for Finland is that drone defence and securing the border with Russia are now high on the EU and Nato agenda. Joint funding from Europe will also be needed to protect the border states.”
Don't rely on geography
Slovakia has not yet been affected by Russian drone incidents, Denník Postoj observes:
“Slovakia can thank fate that it is separated from Russia by the Carpathian Mountains and a few hundred kilometres of Ukrainian territory. However with the development of drones with ever greater range, even this advantage will become less relevant. In a real war, geography alone would not protect Slovakia. It needs a large arsenal of modern air defence systems, not just a few old Cuban missiles or a handful of S-300s which it would not be able to modernise without Russian help.”
Hungary showing zero solidarity
The difference between Romania's and Hungary's reaction speaks volumes, journalist Boróka Parászka comments on Facebook:
“The Hungarian Foreign Ministry did not summon the Russian ambassador, even though Russian missiles hit a settlement near the Hungarian border. ... In Romania, the Russian ambassador was summoned twice within three days. Once because of the drone attack on Poland and then again after a drone entered Romanian territory at the weekend. Does everyone understand what this difference means? ... The Hungarian government is so loyal to Putin that it even turned its back on the ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia. The Romanian government, which is strongly opposed to Moscow, stands in solidarity with the Poles.”
Defence missions in Ukrainian airspace a possibility
In a Facebook post republished by NV, blogger Ivan Yakovyna speculates on what Nato's next steps will be:
“A number of Nato fighter jets are being deployed to Poland. I don't think this is just a coincidence: soon they will really start shooting down Russian drones and missiles over Ukraine. At first they'll do so from a distance, without entering Ukrainian airspace, but after a while they'll start flying in there too from time to time. This has three advantages for Nato armies: they can protect themselves (and Ukraine), train their pilots, and take a swipe at Putin with impunity. ... I think a decision to this effect has already been taken behind the scenes.”
A cynical lack of empathy
Hotnews criticises Romania's inaction as cynical:
“The relieved reaction of the defence minister, who told us that the drone that flew over Romania was not shot down because it was supposed to wreak havoc elsewhere and not here, raises a few questions. Should we as Romanians be relieved because the flying device loaded with explosives flew on to kill Ukrainians? ... What if the target had been ethnic Romanians living in Budjak [in Bessarabia in southern Ukraine]? Would we not be bothered by it then? After all, we're always very emotional in our political statements when it comes to Romanians in Ukraine.”
Time for experiments
Europe needs to adapt and try out new ideas, La Libre Belgique urges:
“The Ukrainians are experimenting. Acoustic sensor networks, lightweight batteries, interceptor drones forming a 'protective wall': inventive solutions exist, and some can be implemented for the price of a single Patriot missile. Europe has no excuses: it's time to finally learn, invest, invent, innovate and share. ... If we don't adapt our military software to the fear stirred up by the Russians, their drones will continue to chip away at our certainties until this fear overcomes our willingness to defend our borders. ... The time for cautious statements is over. For Europe the time has come to act – quickly, creatively and decisively.”
Provocations putting us on alert
Neatkarīgā comments:
“It can be argued that Putin's provocations will only serve to strengthen Nato's combat capabilities. ... Every such provocation reveals our own weaknesses and gives us the opportunity to eliminate them before they hit home and be better prepared in case of an emergency. ... One of the basic principles of the art of war is sudden attack. The more unexpected the attack, and the less prepared the opponent is, the greater the chances of success. Russian provocations are forcing Europe, however timid and sleepy it may be, to prepare for war. This gives us hope that Putin will weigh up the pros and cons, make the right decision and refrain from direct confrontation with Nato.”