Over the course of the past month, unidentified drones — widely believed to be Russian — have menaced Europe, intruding into foreign airspace and causing major disruptions and having destabilizing effects, including temporary airport shutdowns. The Kremlin has consistently denied that Russian drones have entered European airspace, but according to reporting by Bloomberg, Russian officials at a meeting in Moscow claimed the incursions were retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on Crimea. Russia’s barrage of drones over European airspace represents only a fraction of the broader toolkit the Kremlin has employed for years to destabilize and disrupt Europe — an approach commonly described as Russia’s “hybrid war” against the West. As Europe expands its defense architecture, it must also recognize that this growth will create new vulnerabilities; if the protection of social cohesion and democratic institutions is not addressed in parallel with conventional rearmament, then the very investments meant to enhance European security will be undermined.
Beyond the Drones: Confronting Russia’s Expanding Hybrid War on Europe – The Soufan Center
