Despite earlier reports, Hungary joins EU talks on drone wall at eastern borders
Contrary to initial claims that Hungary and Slovakia were left out, Hungarian representatives did take part in a high-level EU meeting on Friday about building a so-called “drone wall” to protect the bloc’s eastern borders.
Hungary also took part in the conference
According to HVG, the videoconference, led by European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius, gathered NATO officials, EU representatives, Ukraine’s Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal, and defence ministers from nine frontline states, including Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Finland.
The talks followed a series of incidents in September, when at least 19 Russian drones violated Polish airspace. In response, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed the creation of a coordinated drone defence system.
Design of the drone wall to begin
At the meeting, member states agreed to move from discussions to concrete action, beginning the design of the drone wall immediately. The system would integrate radars, acoustic sensors, and a detector network to spot and neutralise low-flying drones, which traditional air defences struggle to intercept.
Kubilius stressed that Ukraine’s battlefield experience makes its input invaluable, particularly in disrupting enemy drone communications and deploying artillery support effectively. He also underlined the urgency of unity: “Russia is testing the EU and NATO. And our response must be firm, united, and immediate.”
Where does funding come from?
Funding for the initiative is expected to come from existing EU defence programs, including a EUR 150 billion loan facility and the European Defence Industrial Program. Work on the drone wall’s design could be completed within a year, with member states set to appoint representatives to develop the detailed timeline.
Our earlier reports on the drone wall talks:
- Hungary and Slovakia not invited to the EU’s “drone wall” talks
- One empty chair: Hungary left out of EU drone wall meeting