NATO’s growing activity in defending its eastern flank

NATO is reinforcing its eastern flank as Italy deploys Eurofighter Typhoons to Estonia, Finland opens a new Northern Land Forces Command, and European allies push for a continent-wide “Drone Wall” following Russian drone incursions that exposed gaps in the alliance’s air defences.

Italy’s Eurofighter Typhoon jets join NATO’s Baltic mission
Italy’s Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets have joined NATO’s enhanced Air Policing mission in Estonia amid rising Russian air activity. The deployment strengthens Baltic air defence at a time of increased regional tension and security concerns. Italy’s Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, stationed at Estonia’s Amari Air Base, replaced Italy’s previous F-35 fighters, ensuring Italy’s continued participation along NATO’s north-eastern flank.
Objective: The deployment of Eurofighters bolsters deterrence and demonstrates NATO’s readiness to respond to unregistered flights or aircraft with transponders turned off, typically conducted by Russian planes. It sends a clear signal that airspace over the Baltic Sea is being closely monitored and protected. The importance of the patrol mission increased further after three Russian MiG-31 aircraft violated Estonian airspace in September.

Opening of NATO’s new Northern Land Forces Command in Finland
The official inauguration ceremony for NATO’s Northern Multinational Corps Land Forces Command was held in Finland. Finnish Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen stressed that the new command will strengthen NATO’s defence posture in the High North and enhance Finland’s security.
The new regional NATO land command is located in the city of Mikkeli, sharing the same site as Finland’s Army Command. The headquarters currently hosts a staff of 10 personnel from several allied nations, including Finland, with plans to increase the number to about 50 during peacetime. The command is tasked with planning, preparing, and leading NATO land operations in Northern Europe and will take charge of ground operations and defence in the High North in times of crisis.

Russian drones in NATO airspace
In September 2025, Russian drones violated NATO airspace for the first time, exposing serious gaps in the alliance’s defence system. The most significant incident occurred overnight between 9 and 10 September, when more than 19 drones launched from Belarus entered Polish airspace. Polish F-16s and Dutch F-35s intercepted and neutralised some of the drones, but others crashed, damaging residential buildings. Romania also reported a drone incident near the Black Sea.
This marked the first time since the 2022 Ukraine conflict that NATO aircraft had destroyed Russian drones over alliance territory. Reports suggest these were not random provocations but deliberate tests by Moscow to assess NATO’s tactical and operational capabilities under real conditions. Russia aimed to collect detailed operational data on NATO’s defence architecture, including radar data management, reaction speed, refuelling support, and the use of Patriot systems. Radar readings indicated that the drones followed straight, pre-planned routes. Moscow effectively studied NATO’s operational responses — such as fighter scramble times, AWACS data sharing, and air-defence system deployment.

The “Drone Wall” plan
European countries are calling for a continent-wide “Drone Wall” system to counter the growing drone threat. The incidents exposed NATO’s vulnerabilities and prompted major changes along its eastern flank. Poland invoked NATO’s Article 4, leading the Alliance to launch Operation “Eastern Watch” and deploy additional forces.
The “Drone Wall” project is envisioned as a pan-European network combining detection, jamming, and neutralisation systems. Ten EU defence ministers have already joined the initiative. Initially a temporary measure, the project is now becoming a key pillar of Europe’s security doctrine against Russia’s hybrid warfare tactics. Analysts believe the incidents should be viewed as a rehearsal for a potential high-intensity drone-based confrontation along NATO’s eastern border.

Strategic overview
These attacks highlight NATO’s vulnerability to cheap drones and the strategic disadvantage of using costly systems to counter them. By exposing these weaknesses, Russia has also prompted NATO to begin addressing its defence gaps. Deploying million-dollar missiles against drones worth $10,000 remains a strategic imbalance.

Public opinion on defence spending in the EU
According to a Polling Europe survey, public support for increasing national defence spending is declining across Europe. Of more than 5,400 respondents, 67% supported higher defence investments — a 7% drop compared to 74% in April 2024.
Overall, 52% of respondents expressed doubts about Europe’s readiness for a prolonged military conflict. A regional divide is evident: support for higher defence spending stands at 59% in Southern Europe, 76% in Central and Eastern Europe, and 73% in Northern Europe. Italy (48%) shows significantly lower support than Spain (68%), while Poland remains one of the strongest supporters (86%).
The survey was conducted between 17 and 19 September, about a week after Russian drones entered Polish airspace. Politically, centre and centre-right groups (EPP 85%, Renew 80%) are more supportive of defence spending increases than left or far-right parties.
In addition, 48% favour EU-coordinated defence investments under the European Commission, while 41% prefer national-level decision-making. The north-south divide appears here too, with 60% of Southern Europeans backing Commission coordination.
Overall, 52% of Europeans believe the continent is not militarily prepared for a long-term conflict. Northern (43%) and Central Europe (46%) are more optimistic about readiness than Southern Europe (35%).

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