Source: Fox News
Summary
A new report by the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) reveals that Russia has been using a “shadow fleet” of old ships to launch drones at European military bases and airports, testing NATO’s reaction time and air defenses. The drones have been spotted in Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, and Denmark, and have forced the closure of several European airports. The IISS believes that Russia is using the drones to probe NATO’s response times and decision-making thresholds, as well as to identify vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure.
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As expected, the matter has reached another stage.
Russia’s drone campaign appears to be a carefully planned operation, with the use of shadow vessels to launch drones and create deniability. The drones have been spotted in several European countries, and have forced the closure of multiple airports. The IISS has linked the locations of Russia’s shadow fleet to recent high-profile drone incidents, concluding that Russia is likely behind the attacks.
The drones have been used to test NATO’s reaction times and air defenses, as well as to identify vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure. The campaign also appears to be designed to impose economic and psychological costs on European societies, by disrupting civilian aviation and undermining public confidence in airspace security.
The use of drones in this way is a new tactic for Russia, and one that is likely to be repeated in the future.
It’s a combination of espionage, but also psychologically to create a lot of anxiety in populations to scare them so that they would put pressure on their governments not to support Ukraine.
The fact that Russia is using drones to probe NATO’s defenses and test its reaction times is a clear indication that the country is looking for ways to exploit vulnerabilities in the alliance’s defenses.
