Mysterious drones have been spotted at night at airports across Europe. How worried should we be?

11 hours ago Share Save Frank Gardner Security correspondent Share Save

BBC

First comes the warning, that disembodied voice over the tannoy: "Your attention please. Air siren in the city. Please move to the shelter on the minus second floor." Then comes the mosquito-like whine of the incoming Russian drones, massing in their hundreds just above the clouds. It's followed immediately by the rattle of anti-aircraft fire, the distant thud of explosions, then finally the ominous klaxon call of ambulance and fire sirens. This is the grim reality of night time in Kyiv and other cities across Ukraine. These are attack drones that explode on impact. Drones are now an integral part of modern warfare, but they are not confined to the battlefield. Across western Europe, far from Ukraine, unarmed drones have also been found buzzing around airports, military bases and power plants, all part of a suspected programme of "hybrid warfare" being waged by Russia, with some speculating they're arriving to test the resilience of certain Nato countries that are helping Ukraine.

Reuters Drone sightings around critical infrastructure across Europe, including in Belgium, have sparked fear in a number of Nato countries

Recent drone sightings in Poland, along with a swathe spotted around critical infrastructure across Europe, including in Belgium and Denmark, have sparked fear across some Nato countries. Now, there is talk that a "drone wall" is to be designed to protect parts of Europe - but just how necessary is this, really? And more pertinently, how realistic?

A wake-up call to Europe

On 9 September, around 20 Russian drones overshot Ukraine and flew into Poland, forcing the closure of four airports. Nato jets were scrambled and several of the drones were shot down - the rest crashed across Poland, scattering debris in multiple regions. This was a wake-up call to Europe, marking one of the largest and most serious breaches of Nato airspace since the war in Ukraine began. Which is why discussion about a possible drone wall seems ever more pressing.

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