In response to recent incursions of Russian drones into Polish and Romanian airspace – both NATO member states – a leading figure within Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is advocating for an immediate procurement program for defensive drones by the Bundeswehr, Germany’s armed forces.
Norbert Röttgen, a prominent voice in foreign policy for the CDU, emphasized the necessity for NATO to bolster its capabilities to counter Russian drone activity. Speaking to the “Rheinische Post” he suggested a mutually beneficial industrial and technological partnership with Ukraine to achieve this.
Röttgen highlighted Germany’s current deficiency in drone technology, stating that the German government must urgently establish a procurement program. He further asserted that NATO cannot tolerate Russia’s actions, which he characterized as a blatant violation of international law, resulting in drone incursions into member states’ airspace while conducting operations in Ukraine.
He argued that countering these drones effectively necessitates a shift from relying on costly and complex conventional air defense systems, proposing drone-based defense as a more appropriate and efficient solution. The recent appearance of Russian drones over Poland and Romania on Saturday prompted the dispatch of fighter jets to intercept them.