The European Commission has proposed expanding its “drone wall” project beyond eastern Europe to cover the entire continent, following a sharp rise in mysterious drone incursions across several EU and NATO countries.
The revamped plan, now called the European Drone Defence Initiative, will be part of a new “defence readiness roadmap” to be presented on Thursday by the Commission, the European Union’s executive arm, officials told Reuters on Tuesday.
Commission president Ursula von der Leyen first floated the idea of a defensive “drone wall” after nearly 20 Russian drones reportedly entered Polish airspace last month. The initial plan envisioned a chain of sensors, electronic jamming systems and weaponry stretching from the Baltic states to the Black Sea.
But after a wave of drone sightings since late September disrupted airports and military bases from Denmark and Norway to Germany and France, several western and southern EU states complained they had been left out of the project.
Eastern European nations had initially welcomed the move, seeing it as vital protection against Russian hybrid tactics. But the recent incidents have made clear that the threat extends far beyond Europe’s eastern flank.
European defence commissioner Andrius Kubilius hinted at the broader scope of the initiative during a defence conference in Brussels, momentarily referring to it by both names. “We propose the European drone wall... er... European Drone Defence Initiative, an anti-drone network to protect all Europe,” he said.
The push comes amid a series of high-profile drone sightings that have rattled European authorities.
On 22 September, large drones near Copenhagen Airport forced a four-hour suspension of flights, while Oslo’s Gardermoen Airport was briefly closed the same night.
Similar incidents were later reported across Germany, Poland, and France, leading to temporary airport closures, flight cancellations, and military alerts.
While investigations are ongoing, several European governments suspect state-level or well-resourced actors, though no public attribution has been made.
NATO has since increased air and maritime surveillance in the Baltic and North Sea regions, and countries like Germany are drafting new laws allowing police to shoot down threatening drones.
Officials say the expanded EU plan will integrate sensor networks, electronic warfare tools, and coordinated counter-drone operations, aiming to safeguard both civilian and military infrastructure.