Europe is dangerously underprepared to defend itself against a possible Russian drone attack, EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius has warned, urging the bloc to tap into Ukraine’s proven battlefield drone capabilities to strengthen its air defenses.

Speaking in Vilnius, Kubilius expressed frustration that it took a major drone provocation — including the recent Russian drone incursion over Poland — for European leaders to confront their glaring gap in drone detection and cost-effective countermeasures.

“Why did it take us more than two years … to understand that we are not ready to detect Russian drones and to destroy them with cost-effective means? … The Russians are learning. Are we?” he asked.

In response to these threats, NATO has dispatched reinforcements to its eastern flank, and European countries are racing to erect what Kubilius calls a “drone shield” — although he cautioned that building a reliable anti-drone network could take years.

Kubilius argued that Europe must not reinvent the wheel, but instead integrate Ukraine’s “battle-hardened” defence forces and their drone industry into its broader security architecture.

“If we do not do that, we shall make a historical mistake, which shall leave us weaker. And which shall leave Ukraine weaker,” he said.