NATO to invest more than $40 billion in counter-drone capabilities over next five years, Rutte says

According to CNBC, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Tuesday the alliance will launch its NATO Drone Edge initiative, with allies set to invest more than $40 billion in counter-drone capabilities over the next five years, as drones become a “decisive factor” in modern warfare. The report said Ukraine has intensified long-range drone strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, including an attack that sent black smoke over an oil refinery in Omsk about 2,500 kilometers from Ukrainian territory, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying upgraded drone capabilities have put Siberia “within reach.” Finnish President Alexander Stubb told CNBC that the strikes are reducing Russia’s capacity to produce and export by 40%, while analysts cited by CNBC said Ukraine’s faster drone innovation and procurement model is influencing defense spending priorities.