Russian drones: defending Europe from the Ukrainian skies

Pour l'Ukraine
Sep 15
4 min read

Opinion piece published in Le Monde on 14 September 2025, under the title" Incursion de drones russes en Pologne : « Nous devons protéger l’Europe en protégeant l’espace aérien ukrainien » "

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In the night of 10 September, for the first time since 1945, European fighter jets had to shoot down enemy aircraft over NATO territory: at least nineteen Russian drones and one cruise missile violated Polish airspace! This is not an ‘incident’. It is a deliberate test of European defences and a chilling warning.

Russian drones in Poland: a methodical preparation

The scale of this intrusion is no coincidence. Since July, Polish and Lithuanian SIM cards have been found in Russian drones shot down in Ukraine. This discovery reveals methodical preparation. Moscow is programming its aircraft to connect to European telecommunications networks, transforming each drone into an information sensor: identifying defence installations and radar stations in use, analysing protocols and the reaction times of European air defence forces. The Kremlin is no longer content with striking Ukraine: it is mapping our vulnerabilities.

The absence of explosives on several of these drones supports the hypothesis of a reconnaissance mission. Coinciding with the Russian-Belarusian military exercises ‘Zapad-2025’, this operation is part of a strategy of gradual intimidation. Putin is testing our tolerance threshold with three days of manoeuvres that simulate precisely this type of aggression and whose name alone is significant: “Zapad” means ‘West’!

This escalation has been accompanied by a dramatic intensification of bombing raids on Ukraine, which even hit the British Council and European Union buildings in Kyiv at the end of August. Last Sunday, Russia launched its largest missile and drone assault since the invasion began. This war of attrition and terror aims to bring about the moral and economic collapse of Ukraine before any political settlement can be reached.

Reversing the logic of defensive strategy and bringing protection upstream

Confronted with this stark reality, Europe cannot be content with a defensive strategy that consists of shooting down drones that stray into its territory. Waiting for Russian projectiles to violate our borders amounts to submitting to the adversary's initiative. We must reverse this logic and bring protection upstream: protecting Ukraine and its civilian populations by intercepting threats in Ukrainian airspace before they reach European borders.

The SkyShield initiative, developed by the NGO Price of Freedom and supported by several hundred European and American politicians and senior military officers, responds precisely to this dual requirement. This integrated air defence zone would enable a European coalition to neutralise Russian missiles and drones over western Ukrainian territory, while simultaneously protecting critical infrastructure, nuclear power plants, Ukrainian civilians and European territory. One hundred and twenty allied aircraft would be sufficient to carry out this mission.

SkyShield would in no way constitute an act of war against Russia.

It should be added that this intervention would in no way constitute an act of war against Russia. International conventions on humanitarian assistance, nuclear protection and civil aviation fully justify such measures.

Protecting western Ukraine would allow the Ukrainian armed forces to focus on the eastern front, help secure the country's economy and nuclear safety, boost public morale and enable Ukrainian defence production to flourish. Russia would be more inclined to negotiate a ceasefire. As for the risks to pilots, they are low: since 2022, Russia has never dared to send its aircraft into the airspace that SkyShield would protect.

The coordinated response by Dutch F-35s, Polish F-16s and Italian AWACS aircraft on the night of 9 to 10 September sets an encouraging precedent. It demonstrates Europe's capacity for concerted mobilisation. All that is needed to systematically defend Ukraine's western airspace is the political will to make the leap.

History teaches us that totalitarian systems interpret restraint as weakness. By testing our defences, Putin is gauging our determination ahead of potential assaults on the Baltic states or Moldova. Every hesitation on Europe's part reinforces his belief that he can act with impunity.

Protecting ourselves by protecting Ukrainian airspace

Russia's incursion into Poland marks a turning point: the era of exclusively defensive posturing is over. Europeans must abandon their illusions about the nature of the Russian regime and its intentions. The necessary deterrence can no longer rely solely on the defence of our borders. The time has come to move to active protection. We must protect ourselves by protecting Ukrainian airspace. In the face of Moscow's repeated aggression, SkyShield must be our response. This proportionate and effective response will send a clear message to the Kremlin: Europe is no longer content to suffer, but is finally assuming its responsibility by defending its freedom and that of its allies.