Europe must respond to the "hybrid war" being waged by Russia, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday, warning of a new and dangerous reality emerging in European skies.
Speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, she urged not only reaction but deterrence, cautioning that hesitation to act would only allow the "grey zone" of threats to expand.
Von der Leyen cited recent incidents such as drone flights over strategic sites in Belgium, Poland, Romania, Denmark, and Germany.
She also mentioned the severed underwater cables and malicious influence campaigns during elections. These, she asserted, are not isolated acts of harassment.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addresses the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday 8 October 2025. Credit: EU
"Two incidents might be a coincidence. But three, five, ten? These are grey-zone campaigns against Europe," she stated.
The European Commission President reiterated the importance of the "anti-drone wall", a proposal she introduced a month ago, presenting it as a vital response to modern warfare realities.
She called for an affordable system enabling "quick detection, swift interception, and rapid neutralisation", emphasising that Europe has much to learn from Ukraine’s experience in countering drones.
Ukraine, which defends itself almost nightly against hundreds of drones deployed by Russia, is one of the few European nations producing cost-effective anti-drone technologies, cheaper than missiles or fighter jets.
