Russia conducted a 19-month drone campaign across Nato member states and Ireland that successfully mapped critical air defence gaps, according to a new report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies. The operation exploited weaknesses in Europe's air defence systems, legal frameworks, and rules of engagement without triggering a coordinated allied response.

The campaign targeted sensitive military infrastructure including nuclear submarine bases in France and air bases across the UK, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Some incidents were easily attributed to Russia, such as 24 drones entering Polish airspace in September 2025, while others involved shadow-fleet tankers suspected of providing launch platforms. France boarded one such vessel in 2025 but never made findings public.

European air defence systems, designed primarily for conventional aircraft and missiles, struggle to detect and engage inexpensive, slow-moving drones that blend with radar clutter. The report identifies four objectives: surveillance of nuclear deterrent assets, testing allied response times through reconnaissance by battle, mapping military logistics routes, and imposing economic costs.

Russia has denied involvement, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissing the report's conclusions. European governments have launched counter-drone initiatives and expanded EU defence programmes, though the IISS warns that resilience alone cannot address these systemic vulnerabilities.