IISS Report Flags 144 Drone Incursions Across Europe, Links Activity to Russia’s Sanctioned Tanker Fleet

According to Lianhe Zaobao citing Bloomberg, a report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) released Thursday, July 2, said Russia is likely using its sanctioned “shadow” oil tanker fleet to support drone operations over sensitive sites in Europe to probe weaknesses in local air defenses. IISS researchers documented 144 drone intrusion incidents across 12 NATO countries and Ireland from August 2024 to February 2026, with activity concentrated in Germany, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands; some incidents caused major disruption, including airport closures. The report said drones also entered airspace over sensitive defense facilities, including sites where US nuclear bombs are deployed and a French ballistic-missile submarine base, and found about half of recorded sightings occurred over military facilities. The report said most European countries have avoided attributing the incursions to Russia; Russia’s Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for comment, while France’s Defense Ministry said it could not confirm the report’s conclusions and the Netherlands’ Defense Ministry said it had taken measures to protect military sites.