IISS report: 144 suspected Russian drone incidents over 13 European countries, alarm over aerial espionage targeting military and civilian sites

Russia is suspected of having built an organized aerial espionage operation in Europe, using drones to gather data on military bases, airports, ports and critical infrastructure. The alarm is raised in a new report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), based in London.

According to the study, it is “highly likely” that Moscow used surveillance drones in the airspace of 13 European countries. The assessment is based on data from the US organization ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data), as well as reports from international media.

The analysis identifies 144 incidents recorded from August 2024 to February 2026, in which suspected drones flew over strategic sites to collect information of a military and civilian nature.

Among the targets of these suspected flights were the US Ramstein base in Germany, the German air bases at Ingolstadt-Manching and Neuburg, the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, as well as the nuclear submarine base at Île Longue in Brittany.

According to the report, 48% of these flights targeted military installations, while 18% focused on civilian airports. Another 26% targeted ports, airfields, power plants and industrial areas.

The country that reported the most cases was Germany, with 58 incidents, followed by Belgium with 25 and Denmark with 16. The Netherlands recorded 9 cases, France 8, while the United Kingdom and Norway had seven incidents each. The report also mentions the Czech Republic, Finland, Spain, Ireland, Poland and Sweden. Italy, according to the report, has no identified cases.

The IISS assesses that these drones were launched from vessels belonging to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” which operates in the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Atlantic Ocean. Although these vessels are used to transport Russian oil, there are suspicions that they also serve as mobile bases for launching spy drones.

Experts underline that this method has exposed weaknesses in Europe’s current air defenses. The drones fly at low altitude, are capable of evading radar, and striking them with costly missiles is seen as an inefficient and economically unjustified solution.

In response to this threat, the European Union has set in motion the “European Counter-Drone Initiative,” also known as the “Drone Wall,” which is intended to become operational by the end of 2026.

The report also stresses that NATO and the EU must build a joint approach to deal with these growing risks, by increasing investment in counter-drone technologies, strengthening the defense industry and improving coordination of warning systems across Europe.