Russia Is Testing Europe’s Defenses From the Air

Europe is grappling with a new form of warfare it has yet to officially recognize. Ukraine has long been accustomed to this type of conflict. On September 1, Germany confirmed Russia's involvement in a drone attack on two airports in early August. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated that the attack was meticulously planned months in advance, targeting Germany directly.

Chancellor Merz expanded on this, claiming Russia had been planning it for months. This is a form of warfare Europe is only beginning to understand, having only recently learned how it operates. The Leipzig incident, where a drone carrying explosives was found inside an airport, was followed by more such attacks, causing flight suspensions and disrupting DHL, Lufthansa Cargo, and Amazon operations.

These attacks targeted a central hub for military cargo and a base for Ukraine's Antonov Airlines, showing the strategic value of such attacks. Germany's response included summoning the Russian ambassador, closing a consulate, and raising the national threat level. The U.S. echoed this, with its ambassador to NATO framing such attacks as serious hybrid warfare that allies should not tolerate.

Ukraine's experience in dealing with such attacks, involving layered defenses and treating each incident as part of a broader campaign, contrasts with Europe's current response, which remains largely reactive and individual. Europe needs to learn from Ukraine's approach, which involves detection networks, drone interception, and a collective response to avoid being caught off guard by the next attack.