Why Russia is Flying UAVs in NATO Members’ Airspace
Uncrewedaerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly being spotted in NATO members’ airspace. Many of these vessels are believed to be part of a Kremlin-coordinated campaign, according to recent research from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a research institute focused on global security, political risk, and military conflict.
“We assess it is likely that Russian-linked vessels and the ‘shadow fleet’ were used as launch/recovery platforms for UAVs as part of the Kremlin’s wider unconventional war on Europe,” IISS researchers wrote in Russia’s UAV Campaign Over Europe. “The UAV campaign (largely in the latter part of 2025) operated with substantial impunity across European airspace—representing both a series of tactical successes for the Kremlin and a strategic failure of allied air defense.”
Where are these UAVs being spotted? And what might Russia be using them for?
Find out by watching the video below:
