Warsaw calls for faster NATO action
Polish Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz has called on NATO to speed up work on strengthening drone-defence capabilities along the Alliance’s eastern flank, following a night-time intrusion of Russian unmanned aircraft into Romanian airspace. His remarks were reported in coverage examining the security implications of drone incursions into NATO territory, as reflected in this summary of NATO’s response to recent airspace violations.
The incident occurred during Russia’s mass drone-and-missile attack on Ukraine on 25 November, when two drones crossed into Romania and six more were detected over Moldova, one of which crashed into a residential building. German Eurofighter Typhoons from Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base and F-16s from the 86th Air Base were dispatched to monitor the situation. Authorities in Romania’s Tulcea and Galați counties issued Ro-Alert warnings as pilots intermittently lost radar contact with the drones as they returned toward Ukrainian airspace.
NATO’s “Eastern Sentinel” mission faces pressure
NATO launched Operation Eastern Sentinel in early September after Russian drones crossed into Polish territory, prompting the Alliance to boost surveillance and air-defence coordination. According to NATO officials, the mission involves substantial military resources, with a focus on countering unmanned aerial threats that increasingly test the Alliance’s readiness.
Poland argues that the threat has become systemic and requires faster, integrated action. The pattern of drone intrusions into Poland, Romania, Moldova and other countries demonstrates what defence analysts describe as Russia’s deliberate testing of NATO’s response times and airspace procedures. Each incident forces allied states to expend resources on scrambling aircraft and tracking drones, creating operational strain and increasing the risk of miscalculation.
Drone incursions expose a widening “grey zone”
Security experts warn that Russia is using drones to cultivate a strategic “grey zone” between war and peace. The combination of military and psychological pressure is designed to keep neighbouring countries in a state of elevated alert, eroding public confidence and imposing financial and logistical burdens on NATO members.
Civilian harm — such as the Moldovan residential strike — underscores how hybrid threats extend beyond military installations. Repeated alarms, airspace violations and interceptions generate a destabilising effect inside NATO and partner countries, fuelling perceptions of insecurity.
Calls grow for an integrated “drone wall”
Several allies support the idea of building an integrated “drone wall” along NATO’s eastern frontier — a network of radar systems, interceptors, electronic-warfare assets and shared early-warning infrastructure. Such a system would shift NATO from reactive interception to proactive denial, strengthening deterrence against low-cost, high-frequency unmanned threats.
Defence planners say current air-defence frameworks, designed primarily for fast jets and ballistic missiles, are insufficient for swarms of small, inexpensive UAVs. NATO’s next doctrinal phase is expected to incorporate hybrid-threat defence, cyber capabilities and innovative counter-UAS technologies.
Asymmetry of costs becomes a strategic challenge
Repeated drone intrusions highlight the cost imbalance facing NATO: scrambling fighter jets is significantly more expensive than launching small unmanned systems. Analysts warn that unless NATO adapts, Russia may succeed in imposing a long-term resource-drain strategy, forcing allies to divert spending toward constant air-defence readiness at the expense of other strategic priorities.
