Can EU forces intercept Russian drones and missiles over Ukraine?

Defense Express reported the information.

In 2022, Ukrainians called to “close the sky over Ukraine,” but after Russian drones struck Poland, Warsaw finally began considering it. Foreign Minister Sikorski said the idea is “worth thinking about” and emphasized any decision should be made with NATO or EU allies.

According to the outlet, the decision is primarily political. While unlikely to gain support from all NATO or EU members, it becomes more realistic if led by the UK, France, and Germany, with other countries possibly joining.

Beyond politics, the question of intercepting Russian drones and missiles over Ukraine poses significant technical challenges. It’s unlikely to involve ground-based air defenses or deploying fighter jets at Ukrainian airbases.

“All that remains is an air patrol within the effective range of fighter jets, which could be based at NATO airbases on the eastern flank. In reality, this should not pose significant problems, as NATO’s air patrol mission operates there continuously, and various alliance fighter jets are regularly stationed at Polish airbases,” Defense Express noted.

For example, at the 23rd Polish Air Force base in Mińsk Mazowiecki near Warsaw, 160 km from the Ukrainian border, German Eurofighters were stationed in August, although the base normally hosts Polish FA-50s.

From this airbase, European fighters could reach Ukraine’s Volyn region in 15 minutes without afterburners and patrol using data from a long-range radar aircraft over Poland. Patrol range and duration, up to several hours depending on the fighter, determine which areas of Ukraine can be covered.

According to Defense Express, a crucial issue remains, as partners and Ukraine must coordinate to prevent “friendly fire.” This means partner patrol zones will be limited and shouldn’t be expected to cover entire regions of Ukraine, even with high optimism.

“From a purely technical standpoint, all that’s needed is to expand the existing NATO patrol mission over select border areas of Ukraine. With coordinated action with Ukraine, this is indeed feasible, setting politics aside,” the outlet concluded.