Russia may have used a shadow fleet to launch drones near NATO facilities — Bloomberg
Russia may have used tankers from its shadow fleet to launch drones for the purpose of conducting reconnaissance on NATO strategic facilities in Europe and identifying vulnerabilities in air defense systems. This is the conclusion reached by analysts at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
According to the published report, between August 2024 and February 2026, there were 144 recorded instances of drones entering the airspace of ten NATO countries and Ireland. In a number of cases, this led to serious disruptions, including the temporary closure of major airports.
About half of all recorded incidents involved military facilities. According to the IISS, drones were spotted over storage sites for U.S. B61-12 nuclear bombs, as well as over a French base for ballistic missile submarines.
Analysts believe that these flights were part of a large-scale Russian campaign to gather intelligence and test European air defense systems. The report notes that modern air defense systems, designed primarily to intercept missiles, bombers, and fighter jets, have difficulty detecting small, slow, and low-flying drones.
The IISS speculates that the data obtained during such operations may have been used to assess the readiness of the European defense system to counter potential threats, according to Bloomberg.
During the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara, scheduled for July 7–8, a number of important decisions are expected regarding support for Ukraine, particularly within the framework of the U.S. PURL initiative to procure weapons for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
At the NATO summit in Ankara, allies plan to announce new defense commitments, which will include multibillion-dollar contracts for weapons production and continued support for Ukraine.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on European allies to demonstrate unwavering unity and send a strong signal of support for Ukraine at the upcoming NATO summit, which will take place on July 7–8 in Ankara, Turkey.
The Baltic states, Poland, and Romania have coordinated their positions ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara.
