Kremlin suspected of flying drones over Europe using Russian shadow fleet
Summary
A UK-based institute reports that Russian-linked ships may have launched drones over Europe, targeting military bases, airports, and infrastructure between August 2024 and February 2026. These drone flights, possibly part of a Kremlin campaign, showed Europe’s air defenses were vulnerable to low-cost drones used for surveillance and disruption.Key Facts
- Drones flew over 12 NATO countries and Ireland from August 2024 to February 2026.
- About 48% of drone sightings occurred over military bases, 26% over critical infrastructure, and 18% over civilian airports.
- Many drone flights happened at night or before dawn and looked like professional or military drones.
- The only confirmed Russian drone attack was in February 2026 near Sweden, where a Russian ship launched a drone that Swedish forces jammed.
- Russian-developed drones like the Merlin-VR and Orlan-10 are capable of being launched at sea with long flight ranges and night operation abilities.
- Some drones may have been homemade or commercial models changed to avoid easy identification as Russian.
- The drones’ activity seemed to test and challenge European military and civilian air defenses.
- Data on drone flights was gathered using maritime tracking systems to link drone incidents to Russian or Russian-linked ships.
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