Get you up to speed: Russia ‘waged war campaign’ against UK and Europe with hundreds of drones | News World

What remains unclear — It is uncertain how countries targeted by Russian drone incursions are enhancing their defences against potential attacks.

Russia conducts drone operations against UK and Europe ahead of conflict

Russia launched hundreds of drones and covert UAVs across Britain and Europe from their shadow fleet in preparation for a future conflict.

The International Institute of Strategic Studies has issued a sobering report in which they found Vladimir Putin’s shadow fleet ships sent drones into Britain and Europe, targeting airports, bases and nuclear sites.

Among the sites affected by the spy drones were RAF Fairford, Feltwell, Lakenheath and Mildenhall, and dozens of sites across continental Europe.

‘We assess it is likely that Russian-linked vessels and the ‘shadow fleet’ were used as launch or recovery platforms for UAVs as part of the Kremlin’s wider unconventional war on Europe,’ they warned.

Since 2024, mystery drone sightings have plagued airports, military bases and civilian areas as Russia increasingly tests the limits of its spyware.

‘The Kremlin was likely able to map reaction times, coverage gaps and limitations across European integrated air defences,’ the IISS added.

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The drones were launched from Russian shadow fleet ships (Picture: PA)

The drones spied on critical infrastructure as well, to prompt a ‘decisive opening operation in high-intensity conflict’, the report warned.

Chatham House Russia expert Keir Giles told WTX that the report’s findings aren’t surprising.

‘The shadow fleet has been pinpointed before as the likely source for some of these drones. Russia finds out what is possible, but it also learns the victim country’s willingness to respond,’ he explained.

‘That’s useful information if they’re pushing the boundaries further or deciding what they could get away with in terms of preparation for an overt attack before they actually launch it.’

A lack of response from the countries being probed by these drones only ‘encourages’ Russia to continue this warfare, he added.

The countries being targeted by Russian aggression need to be reassured by their governments that they can deter and defend against a potential attack, he said.

Russian shadow fleet vessels have been spotted off the UK coast (Picture: Getty)

‘Unfortunately, at the moment, neither of those things is true. So whatever is happening behind the scenes is not making it to the public consciousness, and that will only heighten the impression that Russia is being allowed to carry out these actions, which in so many ways are indistinguishable from acts of war, without suffering any consequences at all.’

For years, leading experts in the UK have been warning that Russia is already ‘at war’ with the UK.

Cyber threats, mysterious drone incursions and more have been attributed to foreign actors. In late 2024, it was reported that a ‘record number of incidents’ impacted the UK’s ‘critical’ drinking water supplies in 2024 – without being officially disclosed, according to Recorded Future News.  

Between August 2023 and March 2024 alone, 46,000 flights in areas such as the Baltic, Black Sea and eastern Mediterranean logged interference issues – believed to be due to Russian interference.

In early 2023, MP Oliver Dowden revealed the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) issued an ‘official threat notice’ to those who operate critical national infrastructure, citing an ’emerging risk posed by state-aligned adversaries’ as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war.

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