Zelensky: Drone attacks on Europe are a test of the US response to threats
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the recent drone attacks on European countries are an attempt by Russia to test the US response to threats against NATO members. He discussed this in an interview with The Guardian.
Zelensky emphasized that although Europe is not formally at war with Russia, Moscow is actively waging war against Ukraine and may potentially pose a threat to many European countries. According to the president, the drone attacks appear to be a “trial by combat” aimed at assessing how Europe and the US will respond to these challenges.
Zelensky mentioned that Russian President Vladimir Putin is in a “deadlock” situation regarding achievements on the front. Despite promises to the public, Russian troops have not achieved the stated goals, forcing Putin to seek other ways to demonstrate success. Zelensky noted that Putin needs to create the appearance of dominance and look for operations that can be marketed to the public as achievements.
In this context, he mentioned the cases with drones in Europe that have caused concern. On November 4, operations at Brussels airport were temporarily halted due to an unknown drone. Similar incidents occurred on November 5 in Vilnius and on November 6 in Sweden. On November 9, unknown drones appeared over a nuclear power plant in Belgium, although no nuclear danger arose.
| Date | Location | Incident |
|---|---|---|
| November 4 | Brussels | Airport shutdown due to a drone |
| November 5 | Vilnius | Drone incident at the airport |
| November 6 | Sweden | Airport lockdown due to a drone |
| November 9 | Belgium | Drone over nuclear power plant |




