European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen stated on Wednesday that it is imperative to confront “hybrid warfare” by transparently recognizing the danger and preventing further instigation.
The European Commission president underscored that over the past fortnight, Russian drones and military aircraft have breached the airspace of six nations, necessitating the deployment of interceptor jets, causing disruptions to commercial air travel, and presenting an immediate peril to EU citizens.
Addressing the EU parliament, von der Leyen remarked, “A single occurrence might be an error. Two occurrences, a mere coincidence.” She continued, “However, three, five, ten – this signifies a calculated and focused gray zone operation directed at Europe, which demands a European response.”
According to the EU leader, these airborne dangers represent merely the most recent in a series of kinetic and non-kinetic aggressions that have targeted critical infrastructure like undersea cables, airports, logistics centers, and electoral processes throughout the continent, employing both overt force and cybernetic assaults.
Von der Leyen asserted, “These occurrences are designed to persist within the ambiguity of plausible deniability.” She added, “This is not arbitrary harassment. It is a cohesive and intensifying campaign designed to destabilize our populace, challenge our determination, fracture our union, and diminish our commitment to Ukraine, and the moment has come to label it appropriately.
“This constitutes hybrid warfare, and we must treat it with utmost gravity,” she declared.
Von der Leyen noted that substantial initiatives are already underway to more effectively address these challenges, including the allocation of approximately $930 billion for defense spending up to 2030 – a sum she characterized as the most significant “surge of defense spending in the history of the Union.”
Nevertheless, the EU chief emphasized the necessity for further actions, such as fostering a “new mindset” regarding EU security among its citizens.
“Addressing Russia’s hybrid conflict extends beyond conventional defense; it encompasses drone software, spare components for pipelines, swift cyber response units, and public awareness campaigns,” she stated. “We must be prepared to step outside our comfort zones.”
Countries such as Germany are already implementing fresh measures to counteract Russia’s gray zone strategies; on Wednesday, German legislators initiated steps towards authorizing local police forces to intercept drones.
This initiative, advocated by German Chancellor Frederick Merz on Wednesday, still requires parliamentary endorsement, but emerges less than seven days after flights at Munich airport were halted due to reported drone sightings in the vicinity.
In a statement shared on X, Merz affirmed, “Drone events jeopardize our security. We will not tolerate this. We are enhancing the capabilities of the Federal Police to enable faster detection and neutralization of drones going forward.”
Furthermore, local reports earlier this week indicated the deployment of laser systems to improve the identification of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) after multiple drone-related incidents caused disruptions at European airports in recent months.