Report says Russian drones expose NATO air-defence gaps

A sustained, nearly two-year campaign of suspected Russian drone incursions across Europe has exposed significant gaps in NATO's air defenses and highlighted the alliance's difficulty in responding to hybrid warfare tactics, according to a new report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies. The think tank's analysis, published on Thursday, details 144 suspected drone incidents across 13 European countries between August 2024 and February 2026, many targeting sensitive military and nuclear sites.

The report concludes it is highly likely that Russia conducted a coordinated intelligence-gathering effort, using vessels from its so-called "shadow fleet"-tankers that evade sanctions on Russian oil-as launch or recovery platforms for unmanned aerial vehicles. The campaign was designed to remain below the threshold that would trigger a collective NATO military response, allowing repeated probes of critical infrastructure.

Nearly half of the recorded incursions occurred over military installations, with another quarter targeting critical infrastructure like ports and energy facilities. Germany recorded the highest number of incidents, with 58 suspected reconnaissance...