Russia Orchestrated 144 Drone Flights Over European Nuclear Sites in 18 Months
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 2
Russia Orchestrated 144 Drone Flights Over European Nuclear Sites in 18 Months
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 2
Summary
IISS said the Kremlin ran a coordinated 18-month drone surveillance campaign over nuclear and military sites in the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and other European states, with 144 incidents logged from late 2024.
Shadow-fleet vessels likely launched or supported the drones from the North Sea and nearby waters, using dark-sailing ships, recovery vessels and signal repeaters in tactics adapted from the war in Ukraine.
RAF Lakenheath, France’s Île Longue submarine base and sites storing US nuclear weapons in Belgium and at Volkel were among the targets; drones also forced Copenhagen airport closures in September 2025.
Western forces failed to capture or shoot down any of the drones, and IISS said the repeated incursions exposed a strategic weakness in NATO air defenses against cheap, low-flying UAVs.
Sightings peaked at more than 30 in both September and November 2025, mostly in Germany, then appeared to ease after European navies began seizing shadow-fleet vessels in 2026.