Warning from Denmark: Russia Could Target Europe – Is the Hybrid War Risk Real?

Russia and Belarus conducted large-scale military exercises in mid-September as the Kremlin sought to put on a show of strength close to NATO’s eastern flank. The Zapad-2025 exercises were part of broader Russian efforts to test NATO’s political and military reactions while sowing fear and uncertainty among the European population. Although billed as defensive, the joint military exercises in Belarus sparked considerable alarm among the country’s European neighbors. The presence of Russian troops close to the Belarusian border with NATO and the European Union inevitably drew comparisons with the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which had been preceded by Russian military drills in Belarus. In recent weeks, the Kremlin has launched drones into Polish and Romanian airspace, while also sending warplanes into Estonian airspace above the Baltic Sea. On September 22, major airports in Norway and Denmark were forced to suspend operations due to suspicious drone activity.  

The heads of state and prime ministers of the EU countries were meeting in Denmark’s capital following a series of drone incidents near the country’s airports and military bases over the last week. Before the meeting, a special radar system was set up at Copenhagen airport to help keep watch. Unidentified drones forced the closure of the airfield a week ago, causing major disruptions.   

  In response to the incidents, Nato held emergency talks twice and condemned Moscow’s “irresponsible acts”. It also launched “Eastern Sentry”, a military patrolling mission in eastern Europe involving additional air and ground systems from allies including Denmark, France, the UK and Germany.  

 Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said, “There is only one country that is willing to threaten us, and it is Russia, and therefore we need a very strong answer back.” Frederiksen has warned that Europe must arm itself to respond to Russia’s hybrid warfare as she was hosting a summit of European leaders as they discussed joint efforts for better deterrence and defence. Mette Frederiksen said the continent was facing unprecedented danger following the spate of Russian drones that invaded NATO’s airspace last month, which experts have warned was a tactic to test the bloc’s defenses.  

  “I hope that everybody recognizes now that there is a hybrid war and one day it’s Poland, the other day it’s Denmark, and next week it will probably be somewhere else that we see sabotage or we see drones flying,” Frederiksen told. “I want us to rearm. I want us to buy more capabilities. I want us to innovate more, for example, on drones,” she said. “When I look at Europe today, I think we are in the most difficult and dangerous situation since the end of the second world war.” She also added.  

Serious airspace violations have been recorded in Europe over the last month, but not all nations in the bloc agree on how to respond. French President Emmanuel Macron was also on hand and urged the European Union to proceed with caution in its current confrontation with Russia.  

  “I think we all have to be very cautious because we are in a time of confrontation with a lot of hybridity,” Macron said on Wednesday on the sidelines of the summit in Copenhagen. “This is why we have to be strong to deter any aggressions, but we have to remain very cautious and avoid any escalation,” he added. Russia has been “a very aggressive player” for several years, the French president said, citing cyberattacks during elections, its war against Ukraine, the use of nuclear threats and recent airspace violations.  

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also warned against overreacting. “Despite everything, I think we have to think calmly. I think we shouldn’t respond to provocations. We have to equip ourselves, that certainly is true,” she said.   

Collectively, EU leaders underscored the importance of maintaining a strategic balance between credible deterrence and measured restraint, ensuring security while avoiding unnecessary escalation. Frederiksen’s warning comes as the EU mulls how to fend off Russian aggression by 2030, with intelligence services warning that Russia could be ready to mount an assault elsewhere in Europe in three to five years. As a prep for such an invasion, EU intelligence officials and military analysts have accused Moscow of testing NATO’s defenses with the recent wave of drone and jet incursions over Poland, Denmark, Estonia and Romania last month.  

The incidents have pushed EU nations to open discussions on creating a “drone wall” to protect the continent from Russia’s UAV assaults. The drone wall would consist of a network of sensors and weapons around the European border to detect, track and neutralize unmanned UAVs entering the continent’s airspace. “Russia will continue and we have to be ready, we have to strengthen our preparedness,” said Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, voicing his support for such a project. Nonetheless, some defense analysts raise doubts regarding Russia’s preparedness for another large-scale military engagement.    

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who has denied that Russia has been purposefully invading NATO’s airspace, also commented on the EU’s proposed measures. He slammed the idea of a drone wall, stating, “As history has shown, erecting walls is always a bad thing.”  

References:

Al Jazeera. (2025, October 1). Danish PM warns that Russia is waging hybrid war on Europe. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/1/danish-pm-warns-that-russia-is-waging-hybrid-war-on-europe  

The Guardian. (2025, October 1). Europe in 'most dangerous situation' since second world war, Danish PM warns. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/01/europe-dangerous-situationsince-second-world-war-russia-war-drones-sabotage  

Financial Times. (2025, October 1). Russia's hybrid war is 'only the beginning', warns Danish PM. Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/4c03d08e-4a05-4d98-8d09-2927c74a211a  

AP News. (2025, October 1). Denmark warns that Russia is waging a hybrid war on Europe, as EU leaders hold security talks. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/ef7b332d66117beb702aa620b649ebf9  

New York Post. (2025, October 1). EU leaders warn Russia is waging a hybrid war on Europe and must rearm: 'We have to be ready'. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2025/10/01/world-news/russia-iswaging-a-hybrid-war-on-europe-and-must-rearm-denmark-warns  

Atlantic Council. (2025, October 1). Putin is escalating Russia's hybrid war against Europe. Is Europe ready? Atlantic Council. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/putin-is-escalating-russiashybrid-war-against-europe-is-europe-ready