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NATO air policingSuwałki corridorMilitary aviationElectronic warfareBaltic defence
Articles (68)
- Incident · 2026-05-29
Russian Geran-2 strikes apartment block in Galați, Romania
A Russian Geran-2 drone hit a 10-storey apartment block on Bulevardul Brăilei in Galați at 00:00 UTC on 29 May 2026, injuring two residents — the first Russian drone strike to injure civilians on NATO territory. - Analysis · 2026-05-28
Ukraine is launching strike drones from helium balloons. The wind at 8,000 metres sets the release window.
Ukraine is releasing Hornet AI strike drones from aerostats at 8,000 m to double effective range. The wind at that altitude sets the release window. - Incident · 2026-05-23
Drone explodes on impact with Dridža Lake, Latvia
An unidentified drone crashed into Dridža Lake in Krāslava Municipality, Latvia, on 23 May 2026 and exploded on impact; no injuries were reported, and no detection alert was issued beforehand. - Incident · 2026-05-21
Two drones vanish from radar over Utena, Lithuania
Lithuania's second air-danger alert in two days — radar tracked two unidentified objects toward Utena on 21 May 2026; NATO fighters were scrambled but both signatures were lost and nothing was recovered. - Incident · 2026-05-21
Two drone signatures vanish over Krāslava and Rēzekne, Latvia
A drone air-threat alert covered Krāslava, Rēzekne, Ludza, and Augšdaugava on 21 May 2026; a drone was detected but not recovered, two days after the five-county shelter of 19 May. - Analysis · 2026-05-20
How not to report important data
A Lithuanian air-danger alert on 20 May 2026 shut an airport and emptied platforms while telling residents next to nothing. Three things it got wrong.
Glossary (20)
- Drone
Shahed-136
Iranian-designed one-way attack drone, mass-produced by Russia as the Geran-2; the loitering munition most frequently detected crossing into EU airspace. - Drone
Gerbera
Russian fixed-wing decoy drone that mimics the Shahed-136 profile to overload Ukrainian air defence, increasingly fitted with warheads for direct strikes. - Drone
Chaika
Ukrainian fixed-wing decoy drone easily mistaken in flight for the larger AN-196 Liutyi; a March 2026 Finland incident required a public correction. - Drone
Loitering munition
Umbrella term for a guided drone built to loiter over or fly toward a target before diving in and detonating; slower and more wind-affected than a missile. - Drone
Magura V5
Ukrainian unmanned strike boat operated by military intelligence against Russia's Black Sea Fleet, credited with over 17 warships sunk or damaged since 2023. - Drone
Hornet
US-built, AI-enabled one-way strike drone used by Ukraine against Russian logistics routes linking Russia to occupied Crimea. Not confirmed in any EU border incident. - Drone
Lancet
Russian tactical loitering munition used against Ukrainian artillery and armour near the front line; not confirmed in EU airspace. - Drone
Orlan-10
Russian reconnaissance and electronic-warfare drone used for artillery spotting inside Ukraine; almost entirely absent from EU airspace incidents. - Drone
DART
Ukrainian glide munition launched from stratospheric balloons, designed to defeat jamming by shutting off navigation before impact. - Drone
Italmas
Russian long-range loitering munition, built by Lancet-maker ZALA Aero, flown in mixed raids alongside Shahed and Gerbera drones since 2023. - Drone
AN-196 Liutyi
Ukraine's long-range strike drone built to answer the Shahed-136; the airframe Chaika is frequently mistaken for in EU airspace incidents. - Drone
Sea Baby
Ukrainian heavy naval strike drone operated by the SBU; struck the Kerch Bridge twice and now carries rocket and machine-gun variants. - Ground robot
GOBLIN
Polish unmanned ground vehicle for reconnaissance and casualty evacuation, tested defending the Suwałki Gap during NATO's Gallant Boar 2026 exercise. - Ground robot
GNOM
Polish ground-launched loitering munition, GOBLIN's smaller sibling, tested for kinetic strikes on armour during 2025 and 2026 NATO exercises. - System
Patria 6x6
Finnish 6x6 armoured personnel carrier and the base platform for NATO's multinational CAVS programme; Lithuania announced plans to procure 936 units in May 2026. - Electronic warfare
GPS spoofing
Technique that broadcasts counterfeit satellite signals to make a receiver report a false position; documented against tankers in the Gulf of Finland. - Electronic warfare
GNSS jamming
Technique that overpowers satellite-navigation frequencies with noise, denying any position fix; persistent over the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad. - Electronic warfare
Datalink override
Suspected technique for hijacking a drone's command or navigation link mid-flight; the Baltic incidents linked to it show broad electronic-warfare diversion, not confirmed link takeover. - Electronic warfare
Tobol
Russian stationary electronic-warfare complex in Kaliningrad, repeatedly identified as a source of GPS jamming across the Baltic and Poland. - System
Baltic Sentry
NATO's ongoing maritime mission to protect Baltic Sea undersea cables and pipelines, launched after suspected sabotage of a Finland-Estonia power link.
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