Hungary opts out of European "drone wall’ project, raising security concerns MAP

Hungary’s decision to opt out of the European “drone wall” project along NATO’s eastern border threatens to undermine the initiative, The Telegraph reports.

According to EU security experts cited by the newspaper, Hungary—considered one of Russia’s closest allies within the bloc—will not participate in the project, potentially leaving a gap of 96,000 square kilometres at the centre of the drone surveillance network.

Jessica Berlin, senior fellow at the Centre for European Policy Analysis, warned that without Hungary’s involvement, the project could become a modern-day equivalent of the infamous Maginot Line—an impressive-looking defence system with fundamental flaws.

The European “drone wall” is intended as a high-tech barrier to monitor and secure NATO’s eastern flank, but Hungary’s absence raises questions about its effectiveness and strategic coherence.

By Vugar Khalilov