Russian jets and drones test NATO, Europe strengthens eastern defenses

Russian jets and drones are testing NATO’s defenses, pushing Europe to rethink how it secures its airspace. Italy has deployed Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Estonia’s Amari Air Base, replacing F-35s under NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission.

The new detachment strengthens NATO’s deterrence over the Baltic, a corridor now under constant radar surveillance.

Last month, three Russian MiG-31s breached Estonian airspace — a stark reminder that NATO’s northern skies remain a frontline of strategic tension.

Further north, NATO inaugurated its Northern Land Forces Command in Mikkeli, Finland. Sharing grounds with Finland’s Army Command, it will plan and coordinate ground operations across Northern Europe. Staffed by officers from 10 allied nations, it is expected to grow to 50 personnel in peacetime. Finland’s Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen said the new command will “strengthen NATO’s defense in the High North and enhance Finland’s security in an unpredictable era.”

The most alarming development this fall has been Russia’s drones entering NATO airspace. On the night of September 9–10, over 19 drones launched from Belarus crossed into Poland. This marked NATO’s first drone shoot-down inside Alliance territory since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Analysts say Moscow used the operation as a deliberate test of NATO’s radar coverage, AWACS coordination, refueling logistics, and Patriot missile systems.

In response, Poland invoked NATO’s Article 4, calling for consultations on security threats, while Brussels launched Operation Eastern Watch, deploying additional units to the eastern border.

Meanwhile, ten European defense ministers have backed a new initiative, the “Drone Wall,” integrating detection, jamming, and neutralization systems into a continent-wide anti-drone network. Initially an emergency measure, it is evolving into a strategic doctrine against hybrid warfare.

Public support for higher defense spending is cooling. A mid-September survey shows 67% of Europeans back increased defense budgets, down from 74% in April. Support is highest in Central and Eastern Europe and lowest in Southern Europe. Italy registers 48%, while Poland tops 86%. More than half of Europeans doubt the continent’s ability to withstand a long-term military conflict. Political alignment also shapes support: center-right and liberal groups such as EPP and Renew show the strongest backing, while left-wing and far-right parties remain more skeptical.

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