According to the report, Russian drones spied on Europe for months

The report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) highlights 144 incidents in 13 countries between August 2024 and February 2026. Although not every single incident may have originated in Moscow, the experts see a clear pattern, according to a statement accompanying the analysis. However, no Western government has officially confirmed this yet.

Testing the responsiveness of NATO countries

The background to the campaign is likely to be, among other things, Russian espionage activity, which has become more reliant on information collected by drones since the start of the war in Ukraine and the expulsion of many Russian diplomats. It was also about testing the NATO states’ ability to react. According to the report, the campaign highlighted significant weaknesses in Europe’s air defense system, which is still focused on traditional threats.

Germany was most affected

According to the report, Germany was the most affected with 58 incidents, including six unexplained incidents over the US air force base in Ramstein, as well as the Bundeswehr bases in Manching and Neuburg an der Donau. In second place with 25 incidents is Belgium, where, among other things, the Kleine-Brogel air force base, which houses nuclear weapons, was targeted.

According to the report, almost half of the incidents occurred at military facilities and almost 20 percent at civilian airports, many of which had to temporarily suspend operations. A good quarter affected critical infrastructure such as ports, energy plants and industrial sites.