NATO in panic; "It's critical, we need drones"

At a closed-door meeting of NATO’s 32 member-state ambassadors in Brussels, the issue of urgently procuring drones for air surveillance missions over border member states was discussed, according to statements from three diplomats.

Romanian President Nicușor Dan said after the meeting that it was agreed to accelerate NATO projects responding to drone threats, so that appropriate measures could be adopted at the upcoming alliance summit in Ankara, scheduled for July 7–8.

“Russia’s war against Ukraine continues to create serious risks to Euro-Atlantic security, especially in the Black Sea region. Therefore, it is important for NATO to strengthen its presence and capabilities in Romania,” the Romanian president said.

The previously planned meeting was held after a Russian drone struck a residential building in Romania late last month, injuring two people and prompting Bucharest to urgently request accelerated air defense deliveries from NATO.

The alliance has also, in recent weeks, deployed fighter jets to shoot down suspected drones over Latvia and Estonia.

“As a direct consequence of Russia’s war against Ukraine, we are witnessing an increasing number of drone incidents along our eastern flank,” said NATO spokesperson Alison Hart.

NATO possesses very few of its own military assets, as they are mostly provided by national governments. However, NATO can assist countries in procuring necessary military equipment, which is then placed under the command of the alliance’s supreme military commanders, Politico reports.

The meeting also highlighted threats to critical infrastructure in the Black Sea region, including Romania’s offshore gas exploration project “Neptun Deep,” worth four billion euros, which is expected to begin operations next year. It was also discussed whether NATO’s military command should increase surveillance of aerial and maritime drones over such facilities.

National military officials, who met last week at the alliance’s military command in Mons, Belgium, expressed openness to reallocating more air defense resources to track and neutralize drones flying over Romania.