Europe must rapidly scale up drone production and readiness to prepare for potential Russian aggression, European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius warned. His comments come amid rising concerns that Moscow could strike a NATO member within five years.

Kubilius told Sky News that Russia may be able to deploy as many as five million drones in the event of Russia’s attack against a NATO country. He emphasized that to successfully deter or defend against such an assault, Europe would need to exceed that capacity.

“We need to have capacities bigger than those in order to prevail,” he said.

Citing lessons learned from Ukraine’s battlefield experience, Kubilius highlighted the increasing dominance of drones in modern warfare.

“Nothing can move. Everything is controlled by drones,” he said, describing Ukraine’s drone-dominated front line, which spans 1,200 km.

According to him, traditional tanks in those zones last just six minutes.

Ukraine’s example shows scale of drone warfare

Ukraine is expected to produce more than four million drones this year. Drawing comparisons, Kubilius said his home country Lithuania, which borders Russia and Belarus over roughly 900 km, would need at least three million drones annually if conflict broke out.

Rather than stockpile outdated technology, Kubilius urged European states to focus on training and readiness:

“We need to learn a lot from Ukraine… how to organize defenses against millions of drones, and also how to make your defense industry innovative.”

German companies rush to meet demand

Start-ups like Germany’s STARK and Alpine Eagle are already racing to supply Ukraine with cutting-edge drones. Josef Kranawetvogl, STARK’s senior vice president and a former soldier, said the fast-paced evolution of drone warfare demands constant innovation. 

Alpine Eagle CEO Jan-Hendrik Boelens showcased interceptor drones capable of engaging targets up to 5 km away. He warned that NATO members are vastly underprepared.

“We are absolutely not ready in my view,” he said, noting that while Ukraine consumed 1.3 million drones last year, NATO members may have purchased just a fraction of that. 

UK and Germany pivot toward drone warfare

According to Sky News, the UK’s new defense plan embraces a “20-40-40” strategy prioritizing drones. British Defense Secretary John Healey confirmed an additional £2 billion will be invested in army drones during this parliament. 

Germany and Denmark have also signed drone co-production deals with Ukraine. Berlin has pledged to rapidly increase procurement, with two attack drone contracts signed recently. 

NATO drone priorities

Sky News says NATO has made drone defense a priority. At the latest summit days ago, member states pledged to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. NATO chief Mark Rutte said air defenses must be boosted fivefold, noting the devastating impact of Russian drone attacks on Ukraine. 

At the same summit, all the members of the alliance, including the US, recognized Russia as a long-term threat.