Baltic states asked the European Commission for 500 million euros for drone defense
The countries justified the need for additional funding by "the growing threat from Russia".
Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have requested 500 million euros from the European Commission for drone defense. The defense ministers of the three states sent a corresponding letter to EC President Ursula von der Leyen, reports the Moscow Times.
The countries justified the need for additional funding by "the growing threat from Russia". They believe that Moscow could strike NATO's eastern flank with drones to test the alliance's readiness to activate Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
The Baltic states expect a response from the head of the EC within a few weeks and that it will be positive. Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn also hope that the funds can be obtained by the end of this year, Iltalehti's sources noted.
Earlier, the Baltic countries repeatedly faced violations of their airspace by drones. However, such incidents have become more frequent over the past two years. As "Novaya Europa" calculated, from January 2025 to May 2026, there were at least 24 such incidents. Last summer, NATO aviation shot down two drones over Latvia and one over Lithuania.
Against this backdrop, Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas called on the Baltic states to prepare for regular drone incursions. In particular, he emphasized the importance of strengthening air defense systems and announced new investments in radars and airspace protection.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte earlier called the alliance's response to drone incidents in the Baltic republics "calm, decisive, and proportionate."
In mid-September, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that Russia might be preparing "hybrid attacks" using missiles and drones against states supporting Ukraine in the near future.
Prior to this, Russian authorities had repeatedly threatened the Baltic countries, accusing them of assisting Ukraine with drone launches. Vladimir Putin openly stated that Russia would launch retaliatory strikes against those European states that allow Ukrainian drones to be launched from their territory to strike Russian targets.
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