Official warns Europe may need 3 million drones to counter Russian threat

Europe must be prepared to produce as many as three million drones annually in the event of a Russian attack, according to the EU's defence commissioner, Andrius Kubilius.

The warning comes amid growing concern that Russian forces could be ready to strike a NATO country within the next five years. Citing his home country, Lithuania, as a case study, Kubilius told Sky News that drone production must match the scale of battlefield demand, Caliber.Az reports.

"If Ukrainians need four million drones for 1,200km of frontline, we need something like three million for one year if the war is starting—if 'Day X' is coming," he said, reminding that Lithuania shares a 900 kilometer border with Russia and Belarus.

Kubilius emphasised that Russia is likely capable of deploying up to five million drones, a number that Europe must exceed to prevail in any future conflict. 

"On the European continent, at the moment, there are only two armies battle-tested with the ability to use millions of drones: one is Russian, which is planning new aggressions; another one is Ukrainian," Kubilius said .

Rather than stockpiling technology that may soon be obsolete, the commissioner urged European nations to focus on building a robust ecosystem of drone engineers, pilots, and manufacturers. 

“We need to learn a lot from Ukraine… how to organise defences against millions of drones, and also how to make your defence industry innovative,” he added.

The warning aligns with NATO's broader shift in defence posture. At this week's NATO summit, member states agreed to increase defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP by 2035. Newly appointed NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also highlighted the importance of drone technology and said the alliance must boost its air defences fivefold.

“We see Russia's deadly terror from the skies over Ukraine every day, and we must be able to defend ourselves from such attacks,” Rutte said.

In the UK, a recent Strategic Defence Review confirmed an additional £2 billion will be allocated for army drones during this parliament. The British Army will adopt a new “20-40-40” warfighting strategy: 20 per cent traditional heavy platforms, 40 per cent expendable drones and munitions, and 40 per cent reusable, high-end uncrewed systems.

By Sabina Mammadli