Overview

• EU defence ministers agreed by videoconference to start implementing a coordinated system to detect, track and intercept drones along the eastern flank.
• Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said he will seek political endorsement at the October EU summit and then finalize a technical roadmap while mobilizing industry and EU funding tools.
• Participants included defence ministers from Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania, along with Kaja Kallas, representatives from Hungary and Slovakia, the Danish EU presidency and NATO, with Ukraine briefing separately.
• Germany did not join the initial consultations as security experts warn of significant domestic gaps in counter‑drone protection, including at major airports.
• The push follows a large Russian‑origin drone incursion into Polish airspace and prolonged disruptions at Danish airports, with NATO’s Eastern Sentry reinforcing surveillance but not guaranteeing an end to low‑altitude incursions.