SIX NATO COUNTRIES PLAN TO CREATE ‘DRONE WALL’ AGAINST RUSSIAN ‘PROVOCATIONS’

Mon 27 May 2024:

NATO countries bordering Russia, including the Baltic states, Finland, Norway, and Poland, are planning to develop a coordinated “drone wall” system to enhance border defense amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and recent “provocations.”

Officials from Finland, Norway, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have discussed creating this system to jointly defend their borders against Russia. Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite announced the plan following talks with counterparts from the Baltic nations, Finland, Norway, and Poland.

“This is a completely new initiative—a drone wall extending from Norway to Poland, aimed at using drones and other technologies to protect our borders,” Bilotaite told the news agency BNS.

Bilotaite emphasized that the countries will not only rely on physical infrastructure and surveillance systems but also use drones and other technologies to guard against provocations from unfriendly nations and to prevent smuggling.

Earlier this month, NATO issued a strong warning about “hostile” Russian activities across Europe, describing them as a threat to Western security. On May 2, NATO accused Russia of “sabotage, acts of violence, cyber and electronic interference, disinformation campaigns, and other hybrid operations.”

Baltic nations have also accused Russia of intentionally jamming GPS navigation systems in their region, causing significant disruptions in air travel.

The six NATO countries will employ both drones for border monitoring and anti-drone systems to counter enemy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Estonia’s Interior Minister Lauri Laanemets highlighted the significance of UAVs in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine.

“As seen in Ukraine, there is a constant technological race between adversaries, with new ways to use drones in warfare being continually developed,” Laanemets said, as quoted by The Baltic Times.

This initiative comes amid accusations from several European countries, including Finland and Poland, of Russia engaging in “hybrid warfare” by pushing migrants to destabilize the region. Hybrid attacks often involve non-military measures that are difficult to directly attribute, a tactic Russia has been accused of employing in Europe. Moscow has consistently denied these allegations.

In response, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that Poland has joined the European Sky Shield Initiative, which involves 21 NATO countries. This initiative aims to establish an Iron Dome-like air defense system to intercept incoming missiles and drones.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

______________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

WhatsApp CHANNEL
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22