Mysterious Drone Flights Disrupt Major European Airports and Military Bases: Possible Kremlin Campaign
Recent assessments suggest that drone flights disrupting European airports and NATO military bases hosting US nuclear weapons may be part of a coordinated Kremlin campaign launched from Russian-linked commercial ships.
Data Analysis and Findings
The UK-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) analyzed automatic identification system (AIS) maritime tracking data and other publicly available data to track Russian-linked ships and shadow fleet vessels during drone incidents.
The report identified 144 drone sightings over Europe between August 2024 and February 2026, with around 48 percent occurring over military bases, 26 percent over critical infrastructure, and 18 percent over civilian airports.
Possible Purpose and Implications
The IISS report suggests that the drone incidents were part of Russia’s effort to:
- Probe allied defenses
- Test civilian-military response mechanisms
- Normalize low-level airspace violations
The report emphasizes that the majority of drone sightings were unlikely to be related to hobbyist drones or the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
