It’s time to take on Russia’s “hybrid warfare” by openly acknowledging the threat and deterring future provocation, European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday.
The president of the European Commission highlighted that in just the last two weeks, Russian drones and warplanes have violated the airspace of six European nations, scrambling jets, grounding commercial flights and posing a direct threat to EU citizens.
“One incident may be a mistake. Two incidents a coincidence,” von der Leyen said while speaking to the EU’s parliament. “But three, five, 10 – this is a deliberate and targeted gray zone campaign against Europe, and Europe must respond.”
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (L) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attend a joint press conference in Brussels on Aug. 17, 2025. (Simon Wohlfahrt/AFP/Getty Images)
“Tackling Russia’s hybrid war is not only about traditional defense, it is about software for drones. It is about spare parts for pipelines. It is about rapid cyber response teams, and it is about public information campaigns to spread awareness,” she said. “We must be ready to leave our comfort zone.”
Nations like Germany are already taking new action to counter Russia’s gray zone tactics, and on Wednesday German lawmakers paved the way for local police forces to be granted permission to shoot down drones.
The plan, championed by German Chancellor Frederick Merz on Wednesday, still needs to be approved by the nation’s parliament, but comes less than a week after planes were grounded at the Munich airport over nearby drone sightings.
A sign indicates a no-drone-zone as flights resume at Munich Airport after temporary suspension early this morning due to drone sightings on Oct. 4, 2025 in Erding, Germany. (Johannes Simon/Getty Images)
“Drone incidents threaten our security,” Merz said in a post on X. “We will not permit that. We are strengthening the Federal Police’s powers so that drones can be detected and countered more quickly in the future.”
Local reporting earlier this week also noted that laser systems have been installed to better locate Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) sightings after several incidents involving drones disrupted airports across Europe in recent months.
