In a new paper called “Countering Drone Proliferation from Russia’s War Against Ukraine: Implications for Arms Control and Security Governance” for EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium, Dominika Kunertova argues that a drone wall along NATO’s eastern border is important, but technology alone cannot protect Europe from the growing drone threat.
The paper shows that the threat Europe faces comes from rapid proliferation of cheap lethal drones, ambiguity in airspace and sanctions evasion. Existing arms control mechanisms were built for an earlier generation of drones and are struggling to keep up.
To address this, Kunertova recommends that the EU and European governments update arms trade reporting and drone classification, strengthen airspace governance to reduce escalation risks, and close loopholes in the EU dual-use export control regime.