Europe on alert as UK warned 'ripe' for Russian drone sabotage

Former Ukrainian drone warfare adviser Illya Sekirin told the Express that Britain and Europe are particularly vulnerable to drone attacks, after Germany blamed Russia for an attempted strike at Leipzig/Halle Airport in August. A series of suspected Russian hybrid attacks have hit facilities in Bulgaria, Italy, Estonia, Slovakia and Poland, prompting calls for the UK to accelerate national resilience plans.

Bottom line — UK government faces pressure to boost defence spending to 3% of GDP by 2030 amid rising Russian threats.

Go deeper (7)

• Sekirin said the West 'underestimates' the threat and that proper counter-drone systems would deter Russia from hybrid attacks with plausible deniability, per the Express.
• Germany accused Russia of an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport in August; Moscow denied it, triggering a diplomatic row, the Express reports.
• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called such incidents the 'new normal' and said Europe must be ready to respond.
• Former Army intelligence officer Philip Ingram warned the UK is 'ripe' for sabotage and that MI5 and counterterrorism police are 'hugely under-resourced', urging accelerated national resilience plans.
• Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge said Labour must commit to 3% defence spending by 2030, arguing 'you can't protect Britain with words and vibes alone'.
• The EU and NATO are working on a 'drone wall' to protect European airspace, expected to be fully operational by the end of 2027, according to the Express.
• A UK government spokesperson said defence has seen the biggest increase since the Cold War and that Russia should be in no doubt about the government's resolve.

Read the reporting