Europe Battles “Hybrid Warfare” from Unidentified Drones Targeting Critical Infrastructure
A wave of serious drone incursions has struck sensitive European military and civilian sites, including a French nuclear submarine base and several major airports. While European officials publicly maintain they are uncertain of the perpetrator, intelligence and open-source investigations increasingly point toward a coordinated campaign potentially linked to Russia.
Key Incidents and Targets (Early December 2025)
- French Nuclear Submarine Base: On December 4th, five drones appeared over the Île Longue naval base in Brittany, which houses France’s nuclear-armed submarines. French marines used jammers against the aircraft, though no drone was reported to have been shot down.
- Targeting Ukrainian President’s Flight: Days earlier, multiple drones flew to a spot at Dublin Airport that would have been in the direct flight path of the plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, had he not arrived slightly early. The incident was classified as a hybrid attack by Irish officials.
- Other Critical Sites: This spate of attacks is part of a wider pattern over the last few months, including:
- Repeat sightings over NATO airbases in Belgium (Kleine-Brogel) and the Netherlands (Volkel).
- The temporary closure of major civilian airports, including Copenhagen and Munich, due to drone activity.
- Over 1,900 incidents involving 1,072 drones recorded over or near German military and NATO facilities in 2025 alone.
Suspicions of Russian Involvement
While officials in some countries, like France and Ireland, have expressed caution about assigning immediate blame, others have been more explicit:
- Official Allegations: Belgium, Germany, and Sweden have publicly stated their belief that Russia is behind these drone flights, labeling the activity as “hybrid warfare” and hostile reconnaissance.
- Investigative Links: An open-source investigation conducted by German journalism students found significant temporal and geographical correlation between drone sightings over German defense sites and the presence of suspicious, Russian-crewed freighters (like the HAV Dolphin and HAV Snapper) operating under flags of convenience in the North and Baltic Seas.
- The Espionage Goal: Experts suggest the drone flights are aimed at monitoring security systems, patrol patterns, and infrastructure upgrades at key NATO bases—particularly those housing US nuclear weapons—in preparation for potential future conflict or to test European anti-drone defenses.
The widespread, repeated, and sophisticated nature of the incursions indicates the involvement of a “capable actor” rather than random hobbyists, forcing European nations to urgently ramp up counter-UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) defense capabilities.
A wave of serious drone incursions has struck sensitive European military and civilian sites, including a French nuclear submarine base and several major airports. While European officials publicly maintain they are uncertain of the perpetrator, intelligence and open-source investigations increasingly point toward a coordinated campaign potentially linked to Russia.
Key Incidents and Targets (Early December 2025)
- French Nuclear Submarine Base: On December 4th, five drones appeared over the Île Longue naval base in Brittany, which houses France’s nuclear-armed submarines. French marines used jammers against the aircraft, though no drone was reported to have been shot down.
- Targeting Ukrainian President’s Flight: Days earlier, multiple drones flew to a spot at Dublin Airport that would have been in the direct flight path of the plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, had he not arrived slightly early. The incident was classified as a hybrid attack by Irish officials.
- Other Critical Sites: This spate of attacks is part of a wider pattern over the last few months, including:
- Repeat sightings over NATO airbases in Belgium (Kleine-Brogel) and the Netherlands (Volkel).
- The temporary closure of major civilian airports, including Copenhagen and Munich, due to drone activity.
- Over 1,900 incidents involving 1,072 drones recorded over or near German military and NATO facilities in 2025 alone.
Suspicions of Russian Involvement
While officials in some countries, like France and Ireland, have expressed caution about assigning immediate blame, others have been more explicit:
- Official Allegations: Belgium, Germany, and Sweden have publicly stated their belief that Russia is behind these drone flights, labeling the activity as “hybrid warfare” and hostile reconnaissance.
- Investigative Links: An open-source investigation conducted by German journalism students found significant temporal and geographical correlation between drone sightings over German defense sites and the presence of suspicious, Russian-crewed freighters (like the HAV Dolphin and HAV Snapper) operating under flags of convenience in the North and Baltic Seas.
- The Espionage Goal: Experts suggest the drone flights are aimed at monitoring security systems, patrol patterns, and infrastructure upgrades at key NATO bases—particularly those housing US nuclear weapons—in preparation for potential future conflict or to test European anti-drone defenses.
The widespread, repeated, and sophisticated nature of the incursions indicates the involvement of a “capable actor” rather than random hobbyists, forcing European nations to urgently ramp up counter-UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) defense capabilities.