Romania’s defence minister calls "drone wall" utopia

Romania’s Defence Minister Radu Miruță said the idea of building a comprehensive “drone wall” capable of stopping all unmanned aerial vehicles is a “utopia”, arguing that no country currently possesses such a system.

Speaking to Digi24, Miruță stressed that the notion of a perfectly sealed air-defence barrier resembles a utopia rather than a viable military solution. He noted that even countries with advanced defence capabilities, including Romania, Poland and several northern European states, lack systems that can completely prevent drones from penetrating their airspace.

The minister explained that Romania is instead relying on a flexible use of existing air-defence assets. According to him, Romanian armed forces are actively deploying and repositioning ground-based equipment based on developments observed across the Danube, with the priority placed on protecting populated areas near the border with Ukraine.

Miruță also confirmed that Romania has an anti-UAV system that has not yet been fully deployed. He said the system is currently being integrated into the national defence network, but faces limitations related to compatibility with other anti-drone technologies already in use.

He cautioned against expectations of a definitive solution, emphasising that even once the system becomes operational, it will not eliminate all risks or incidents involving drones near Romanian territory.

By Sabina Mammadli