European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has warned that recent drone incidents and other airspace intrusions amount to a campaign of hybrid warfare against the European Union, calling for a response that extends beyond conventional defence instruments.
Addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday, von der Leyen said the pattern of activity was “not random harassment” but “a coherent and escalating campaign to unsettle our citizens, test our resolve, divide our Union, and weaken our support for Ukraine.” She added: “It is time to call it by its name. This is hybrid warfare.”
While she stopped short of attributing every incident to Russia, von der Leyen said Moscow’s objective was evident: to sow division within Europe. Her remarks follow a series of episodes that have heightened concerns over European airspace security and resilience. In early October, drone sightings forced repeated closures at Munich Airport and prompted scrutiny of security over nearby military infrastructure, disrupting flights and affecting thousands of passengers. German authorities also confirmed sightings over the Erding air base, home to drone research and development.
In September, Poland reported that 19 objects entered its airspace during a large Russian strike on Ukraine, saying it shot down those posing a threat. The incident led Warsaw to invoke NATO’s Article 4 for consultations on allied security. Aviation authorities and insurers subsequently warned of heightened risks to civil aviation, including possible route changes and higher costs for carriers.
Separately, the North Atlantic Council condemned what it called a “dangerous” violation of Estonian airspace by Russian MiG-31 aircraft on 19 September. Tallinn said the jets remained in Estonian airspace for around 12 minutes, a duration that officials noted would have allowed rapid transit across substantial portions of the country.
Von der Leyen framed these developments as part of a broader “grey-zone” challenge—combining airspace probes, sabotage, cyberattacks, and disinformation—in which state and proxy actors seek to erode cohesion while staying below the threshold of open conflict. Speaking alongside the Strasbourg debate, she argued that Europe’s answer must be comprehensive: “Tackling Russia’s hybrid war is not only about traditional defence. This requires a new mind-set for all of us.” The choice, she said, was between “shying away” and meeting the threats “with unity, deterrence and resolve.”
Officials and analysts have highlighted the interplay between physical incursions and information operations. Following a September drone incursion over Poland, authorities and researchers documented a rapid surge in coordinated online narratives aimed at undermining confidence in NATO, Ukraine and national institutions. Polish leaders described the episode as part of a “new kind of war”, underscoring the need for resilience in information space as well as airspace.
In Strasbourg, von der Leyen linked immediate protective measures with longer-term industrial and regulatory steps. According to allied briefings and public remarks, work is under way on measures intended to make airspace defence against low-cost drones more efficient, including layered detection and neutralisation systems sometimes dubbed a “drone wall”. She has also signalled the Commission’s intention to strengthen Europe’s defence-industrial base, with a larger share of EU-funded projects sourced within the Union.
Several member-state leaders have urged clearer rules of engagement for unmanned intrusions and tighter enforcement of sanctions at sea and in ports, arguing that ambiguous responses risk inviting further tests. The debate comes amid wider discussions with NATO on air policing, data-sharing, and the division of labour between Union institutions and allied military structures.
For Brussels, the immediate policy questions extend beyond kinetic defence. Hybrid operations often target critical infrastructure, cross-border logistics and digital platforms. EU agencies have stressed the need to harden airports, energy facilities and telecoms networks; expand rapid attribution and coordinated messaging; and ensure that response options—ranging from counter-drone measures to legal and financial tools—are deployable at short notice and in concert. Recent incidents across Poland, Denmark, Germany and Belgium have exposed differing national threat perceptions, complicating the search for a fully unified posture.
Von der Leyen’s intervention also lands in a political context. The Commission President has faced renewed no-confidence motions in the European Parliament, even as she has sought to set out security priorities for the coming years. Her Strasbourg speech sought to frame hybrid threats as a shared European challenge, requiring sustained coordination among capitals and institutions.
