Just a few months ago, the war in Russia was a distant reality for many people in Europe, outside of Ukraine. While Russian drones occasionally entered the airspace of countries like Poland or Romania, even official statements seemed strangely dismissive and abstract. Even after a Russian drone struck an apartment building in the eastern Romanian town of Galati in late May this year, many EU and NATO representatives were reluctant to accuse Russia of intentional action. At most, hybrid warfare has been mentioned.
The situation has changed radically since the summer. Drone overflights have become almost daily in parts of central and southeastern Europe, and there have even been crashes and explosions, particularly in countries bordering Ukraine. Alerts are becoming more frequent, with authorities increasingly having to close airspace or suspend operations at airports when unauthorized flights are detected. Russia has bombed border crossings, infrastructure and trains in Ukraine, but very close to other borders. Acts of sabotage are also becoming more and more frequent.
For the Baltic countries, especially Poland, Moldova and Romania, the war has long ceased to be “hybrid”. More and more politicians in these countries say that Russia is acting deliberately.
Drones violate Moldovan and Romanian airspace
This became evident this week in an unprecedented way. Moldova recorded four drones entering Moldovan airspace, two of which exploded on Moldovan territory. The wreckage of another was also found. The country’s northern airspace was temporarily closed.
Two drones also violated Romanian airspace; including one crashing near the town of Solca, in the north of the country. As a result, a border crossing with Ukraine, located a few dozen kilometers away, was closed. NATO planes were dispatched near the Danube Delta.
Jamming NATO aircraft has become more common in response to Russian air attacks in Ukraine.
In Poland, NATO warplanes were twice taken off in response to Russian attacks near the border with Ukraine. Two Polish border crossings were evacuated after a fire broke out Wednesday evening at a Starlink ground station near the village of Wola Krobowska, 40 kilometers (about 25 miles) south of the Polish capital Warsaw. The station is used to route Internet traffic through Poland to Ukraine.
On the same day, a Russian Mi-8 helicopter violated Polish airspace and remained there for 42 seconds, according to the Polish military.
Polish Prime Minister Tusk says Europe must prepare
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk spoke very bluntly on Thursday in Krakow and said that Russia was refining its “disgusting forms of pressure” and that Poland should prepare for it.
Russian President Vladimir Putin “wants to exhaust Ukraine by destroying its industrial and energy infrastructure, but he also wants to exhaust Europe,” Tusk said. He added that it was suspected that the fire at the Starlink ground station had been deliberate.
Earlier this month, Tusk had already warned the Polish parliament that there could be Russian drone attacks and even missile attacks against those who supported Ukraine.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu also reacted very strongly on Thursday, saying that the war led by Russia constituted a danger for all of Europe and reaffirming Moldova’s support for Ukraine.
In Romania, reactions were less clear. Defense Minister Radu Miruta said a simple “diplomatic protest” was necessary, while acknowledging that the drone that crashed in Solca had new technical characteristics, which suggested it could be a newer type of Russian jet-powered drone.
On Wednesday in New York, in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Romanian President Nicusor Dan said: “We are in the fifth year of an illegal, unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression waged on a large scale against Ukraine by a permanent member of the Security Council.” He added that as “the EU member state with the longest border with Ukraine, Romania has directly felt the effects of this war through repeated violations of our airspace.”
And he too reaffirmed his support for Ukraine: “We have already said it and we repeat it: Romania will stand by Ukraine and its people, who act in self-defense, for as long as necessary.”
Attacks on Western Europe from the Mediterranean?
Meanwhile, speculation is growing that Russia may expand its war to Western Europe. Thursday, the Spanish newspaper The World released information about a CIA report warning that Russia could be preparing drone attacks against Italy, France and Spain. Attacks could be launched from international waters in the Mediterranean and from ships that are part of Russia’s ghost fleet.
There has been no official confirmation so far. French President Emmanuel Macron said the CIA had not informed France of the information, but he said the possibility of Russia launching an attack on Europe was “plausible.”
At a news conference in Denmark on Thursday, political and military officials warned that Russia expects to intensify its hybrid war against the West and NATO in the coming months. The situation is currently the most serious since the end of the Cold War,” Defense Minister Jeppe Bruus said.
This article was originally published in German.
Gn world
