Drones disrupt flights in Denmark and Norway
Incursions by drones of unknown origin left the airports in Copenhagen and Oslo crippled for several hours on Monday. These incidents come after various violations of Polish, Romanian and Estonian airspace by Russian drones and jets. Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte has said that the alliance will only combat aircraft if they pose an "immediate threat" to the population or infrastructure.
Time to take a stand
Jyllands-Posten sees Moscow as the initiator of the drone flights and calls on the West to take countermeasures:
“The drones over the airport may have been the consequence of the West's vague reactions to the incidents in Poland, Romania and the Baltic states. Military responses should be followed by interventions against the Russian war economy. The plans are ready and waiting in the drawers of European leaders. Those drawers must be opened. Fear, paralysis and the 'it'll all be fine' mentality must not be allowed to prevail. Citizens, politicians and authorities must confront the reality of the situation. Not what they dream it should be.”
Two targets in Russia's crosshairs
Moscow is targeting Europe as a whole, writes Ilta-Sanomat:
“It may be that the incident at Copenhagen Kastrup Airport is never completely clarified. But Russia's aggressive activities in the Baltic region and elsewhere are a fact. ... The intimidation has two targets: the citizens of Nato states, who are to be made to fear war. ... The second target is the leaders of the Nato states, who are to shift their focus to protecting their own territories. ... Russia is making clear that this is a war that encompasses all of Europe.”
Learn from Ukraine's defence against drones
For Göteborgs-Posten the drone incursions have shown that the West is investing in the wrong weapons systems:
“Ukraine has used its human capital and technical expertise to surprise on the battlefield and gain advantages over Russia's superiority in terms of firepower and soldiers. The question is: has Europe managed to do this? Our rearmament is largely about acquiring expensive weapons systems, which in some cases run the risk of becoming obsolete once they have been tested. What we need are a few nerds who can come up with a way to shoot down Russian drones for less than 100,000 crowns [approximately 9,000 euros] per hit.”
More an invitation than a warning
The Süddeutsche Zeitung would have liked Nato to be more explicit:
“Any dithering on Nato's part encourages Moscow to engage in further provocations. And every provocation carries the risk of misunderstandings or clashes that could have potentially catastrophic consequences. The clearer the message to Russia about what will happen if it continues to send aircraft across the alliance's eastern border, the more predictable the situation will be for Moscow. Assuming that Vladimir Putin does not want to go to war with Nato at the moment, this will reduce the risk of an unintended escalation. ... The concern within the alliance about having to enforce a red line that it itself drew is apparently too great. Vladimir Putin is likely to see this as an invitation rather than a warning.”