German defence minister condemns Russian drone incursions over NATO countries

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius condemned Russian drone incursions over Poland and Estonia as "dangerous" and "reckless" violations of international law Monday, warning that Moscow represents NATO's greatest threat whilst opening a permanent logistics centre for German forces in Lithuania.

"The Russian Federation is the greatest and most immediate threat to NATO and will remain so for us for the foreseeable future," said Pistorius.

Referring to the German 45th Panzer Brigade, which was posted to Lithuania on 1 April, he said, "That is why we are here. Germany takes its responsibility seriously."

"We keep our word. We stand by our allies and are ready to protect the Baltic states."

The brigade, a "combat-ready" Bundeswehr unit with around 5,000 soldiers, is to be stationed in Lithuania until 2027.

The German defence chief visited the Lithuanian city of Rukla, where he opened the Permanent Logistics Support Area (PLSA) logistics centre together with his Lithuanian counterpart, Dovilė Šakalienė.

'Putin is deliberately trying to undermine Europe's security'

Before travelling to Lithuania, Pistorius spoke at the Warsaw Security Forum, where he said that Russia was becoming an "ever greater threat" to NATO, speaking of airspace violations with drones that have been recorded in Poland in recent weeks.

"This is unacceptable," said Pistorius, who called this incident a "violation of international law" and an "irresponsible provocation in times of already heightened tensions" that could lead to "very dangerous misunderstandings".

In addition to drones, Moscow has also violated NATO airspace over the Baltic Sea with fighter jets in recent weeks.

"Putin is deliberately trying to undermine the security of Europe and the territorial integrity of European nations," said Pistorius, who accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of provocation and of wanting to expose weaknesses within the alliance.

The minister countered this provocation by saying that NATO had responded with "clarity, unity, determination and prudence". However, retired US Army General Ben Hodges wrote in an article on X that the NATO alliance is not prepared for an emergency if expensive fighter jets are needed to defend against drones.

A fighter jet mission is almost always economically irrational against cheap drones, which reportedly only cost between $20,000 and $50,000 to produce.

No 'tangible breakthroughs' from diplomacy

Pistorius also highlighted Europe's support to Ukraine and announced that two more Patriot defence systems will be delivered to Kyiv by 2026 with the support of Norway.

"We want Ukraine to be able to defend against future threats," Pistorius said, adding that Ukraine must be offered "sustainable support, more resilience, more opportunities and inclusive growth".

However, the Ukrainian and European defence industries must work together "more closely and more effectively", he said, adding that the EU must underpin this with a "much more flexible regulatory framework".

In view of the threats to Ukraine, this is "in our own strategic interest", he said, especially as the USA were increasingly turning its attention to other regions, while "we are ensuring peace and collective security here".

He concluded with an expression of desire for peace, which he, however, described as "wishful thinking" in the current circumstances, as the reality in Ukraine did not correspond to peace. At least three people were killed and 76 were injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine on Sunday alone.

"Diplomatic efforts have not brought any tangible breakthroughs. Russia is continuing its war against Ukraine and has even intensified its attacks, with devastating consequences for the civilian population," said Pistorius in Warsaw.