From shotguns to AI missiles: How Europe is countering drone threats — Explained

Following recent from suspected , the is moving to accelerate its “drone wall” plan.

Allied nations are grappling with a dual challenge: devising long-term strategies to counter Russia’s persistent hybrid threats while preparing civilians for the next potential wave of drone incursions. Responses range from layered air-defense systems to civilian-target exercises against drones.

Nato is racing to adopt technologies capable of detecting drones from a distance and neutralizing them without wasting costly weaponry, while also grappling with the difficulty of responding when drone operators and their intentions remain unknown.


Recent drone activity has already disrupted Denmark, forcing airport closures and hovering over the country’s key air-force base, with the unmanned aircraft disappearing before authorities could intercept them. In Poland, Nato warplanes successfully shot down several Russian drones last month.

EU proposes plan to expand 'Drone wall'

With the intrusions, the EU is forced to involve a multi-step approach: detecting and identifying the unmanned vehicles, deciding whether to neutralize them, and exerting strategic pressure to deter future attacks.

Two EU officials and a diplomat told Reuters on Tuesday that the Commission intends to expand the initiative along Europe’s eastern flank to cover the entire continent, after some regions raised concerns about being left out.

The broader “European Drone Defence Initiative” will feature in a “defence readiness roadmap” set to be unveiled by the Commission on Thursday.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed the "drone wall" after approximately 20 Russian drones entered the airspace of the EU and Nato member Poland last month.

Commission officials stated that the concept aimed to prevent future incursions by establishing a network of sensors, electronic jamming systems and weapons, extending from the Baltic states to the Black Sea.

What can be the problem in 'Drone wall' proposal

Experts warn that border defenses alone are insufficient, as drones can operate within civilian areas, creating complex response challenges. Drones are small, mobile, and can be launched from within countries rather than across borders. So, a physical or technology-based wall cannot fully prevent drone threats, WSJ reported.

Although the drone wall was planned last year, EU funding has not yet been secured. Marko Mihkelson (Estonia) highlights a lack of urgency among allies, which may delay implementation.

Recent drones circled Copenhagen Airport and a major airbase in Skrydstrup, but were launched from nearby rather than across long distances.

Denmark has installed Doppler radars at key sites, highlighting the need for layered, rapid-response detection systems to counter evolving aerial threats.

Effective drone defense requires multiple sensor types (radars, electro-optical, infrared), data integration, and AI for real-time processing.

Detecting a drone is only half the battle — authorities must respond in seconds, not hours, to prevent damage. Jesper Bøhnke (Terma Group) stresses that the system must be seamless, integrating multiple technologies, which is extremely complex to implement.

Is there any solution

Once a drone is detected, the decision to down it involves an assessment of risk and cost. A crashed drone can cause damage and casualties on the ground. Targeting it with missiles can quickly deplete precious arsenals if drone incursions become routine. One solution is shotguns.

Denmark rushed through a large shotgun order and trained military instructors to use them against low-flying drones. Industry is responding too: Swedish defence firm Saab unveiled a low-cost, air-burst missile called Nimbrix, with a roughly 3‑mile range designed to detonate above the ground and take out swarms. Saab also developed a modular counter‑drone package — mobile radar paired with a remote weapons station (machine guns) and electronic‑warfare tools — built in months to meet urgent battlefield needs.

Saab says the rapid, lower‑bar approach enabled fast delivery, and it aims to integrate the Loke system across NATO wartime units by year‑end — underscoring how militaries are combining cheap, improvised solutions and purpose‑built systems to counter an evolving drone threat.

Another way to deal with intrusion

Pressuring Russia on other fronts could serve as a deterrent — but only if there’s clear, verifiable evidence tying Moscow to the attacks, caution analysts. Andreas Graae, head of research at the Royal Danish Defence College, warned that the clandestine nature of many drone incidents makes attribution difficult and that escalation risks rise if allies openly engage Russia in hybrid warfare. “Generally, Russia has systems that offer much better protection against hybrid attacks than we do,” Graae said, as per WSJ.

Still, Copenhagen is pursuing non‑military levers. The Danish government announced stepped‑up environmental inspections at Skagen Red — one of Scandinavia’s busiest anchorages — targeting older vessels in Russia’s so‑called “shadow fleet” that move sanctioned oil through Danish waters. “We have to put a stop to Putin’s war machine. That goes for the Russian shadow fleet as well,” said Morten Bødskov, Danish minister for industry, business and financial affairs. “We will use all tools at our disposal.”

As political and defence leaders debate strategies and procure new kit, communities along NATO’s eastern frontier are left unsettled — civilians on Poland’s border are already improvising their own preparations for the next drone wave.