NATO 6 Countries to Establish 'Drone Barrier' Against Russia... "Strengthening Border Defense"

Preventing Military Invasion, Smuggling, and Illegal Immigration
Russia Recently Proposed Changes to Baltic Sea Territorial Waters
Non-Military Measures Such as Pushing Back Refugees Also Implemented

Six NATO member countries plan to establish a 'drone barrier' along the border areas with Russia, according to major foreign media outlets including the Daily Telegraph on the 26th (local time).

According to reports, the interior ministers of Norway, Poland, Finland, and the three Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) agreed last week to build a coordinated system of drones along the border with Russia. This system aims to jointly respond not only to Russian military provocations but also to issues such as illegal immigration and smuggling.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Agn? Bilotait?, Lithuania's Minister of the Interior, explained in an interview with local media, "You will see a drone border stretching from Norway to Poland," adding, "This will help prevent provocations from unfriendly countries and stop smuggling." Mari Rantanen, Finland's Minister of the Interior, also stated, "The drone barrier plan will become more sophisticated over time," and assessed that "it will help defend the 1,340 km border with Russia."

These measures are interpreted as stemming from concerns that they could be Russia's next invasion target following Ukraine. Last week, Russia posted a proposal on the Ministry of Defense website to unilaterally extend maritime borders with Lithuania and Finland, and through the Russian border guards, removed border marker buoys in Estonian waters, openly revealing its aggressive invasion ambitions.

In particular, Russia appears to be undertaking non-military measures through illegal immigrants. Finland has closed its border checkpoint on the Russian side since the end of last year, claiming that Russia is engaging in 'pushback of refugees' toward its border as part of hybrid tactics. Hybrid tactics refer to the use of non-military measures such as information warfare, cyberattacks, and economic pressure alongside conventional weapons.

In response, neighboring European countries have recently rushed to strengthen their borders. Poland has poured billions of dollars into reinforcing defenses along its border with Belarus, a pro-Russian country, and Estonia has built a bunker network for its border guards. Finland also abandoned its neutral status after 75 years by joining NATO last year.

Minister Bilotait? said, "Details about the drone barrier are still under discussion," and assessed that "each participating country faces challenges in finding solutions moving forward." She also stated, "We have agreed to hold regional exercises to ensure the evacuation of residents and to understand how relevant agencies will cooperate and interact."