Belgian authorities are facing growing concern over a surge in unidentified drones flying above facilities belonging to Thales Belgium, one of Europe's key air defense system manufacturers. The company's management has called on the government to urgently revise existing legislation that currently prohibits the interception or destruction of such aircraft, leaving critical defense infrastructure exposed.
According to Belgium's Thales director Alain Quevrin, the number of unidentified drones has risen sharply in the past six months, particularly over strategic sites. Speaking to national authorities, Alain Quevrin urged for immediate regulatory action that would allow both the military and private security teams to neutralize or block hostile drones before they can collect sensitive data or cause damage.
Read more: Czechoslovak Group Plans to Move into Drone Production With Ukrainian Support
The incidents have drawn the attention of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation, which noted that the pattern of drone activity in Belgium mirrors similar reports from Poland, the Baltic States, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. This cross-European trend points to a coordinated campaign rather than isolated cases, suggesting potential hostile reconnaissance operations.
The Center for Countering Disinformation believes that russia is increasingly using drones as part of its hybrid warfare strategy, probing NATO's defensive readiness, testing detection systems, and identifying gaps in response mechanisms. These unmanned incursions, while not overtly destructive, serve to undermine confidence and stretch security resources across the alliance.
Hybrid operations of this kind have become a defining feature of russia's confrontation with the West. By exploiting legal gray zones and technological ambiguity, Moscow can conduct low-cost, deniable intelligence missions that blur the line between espionage and aggression. The inability of European states to respond effectively, bound by peacetime airspace regulations, further emboldens such tactics.
For companies like Thales Belgium, which play a critical role in supplying air defense systems, these drone flights represent more than a security nuisance. They are part of a psychological pressure campaign, aimed at intimidating defense industries and signaling that their involvement in supporting Ukraine does not go unnoticed.
As Defense Express previously reported, the Czech Republic is preparing to significantly bolster Ukraine's armored capabilities with a new batch of modernized T-72 tanks. According to Radio Prague International, the Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, Karel Řehka, will recommend that the government provide Ukraine with 30 upgraded T-72M4CZ tanks free of charge. The vehicles are currently undergoing final repairs at the state-owned defense enterprise VOP CZ.
Read more: Czech Republic Plans to Hand Over Modernized T-72 Tanks to Ukraine
