Drones From the Ukraine War Are Spilling Into Europe

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Luke Vargas (0:34)

NATO jets down a Russian drone over Romania as fears rise that the war in Ukraine is spilling into Europe. Plus, the Colorado River's water crisis worsens, with Lake Powell joining Lake Mead at record lows.

And we'll look at the race to rejigger resumes for AI.

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Luke Vargas (1:04)

It's Monday, August 17th. I'm Luke Vargas for The Wall Street Journal. And here is the AM Edition of What's News, the top headlines and business stories moving your world today.

For the second time in recent days, NATO warplanes have shot down a foreign drone entering the Alliance's airspace. On Sunday, jets were dispatched to the skies above Romania in response to a drone that appeared to be Russian in origin. Separately, jets on Friday responded to a drone that entered Latvian airspace. That country's defense ministry didn't immediately identify its origin, but said that the incursion occurred as a result of Russian electromagnetic warfare.

Daniel Michaels is the Journal's Brussels Bureau Chief and joins us today from Eastern Poland. Dan, you report that this sort of incident has become practically commonplace this summer. What are some of the possible explanations for what we're seeing here?

Daniel Michaels (2:01)

What we're seeing here is happening because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine are each sending drones and missiles into each other's airspace, trying to hit all sorts of targets. And to defend against this, they're both using electronic warfare, essentially microwaves in the air, things like that, to mess with drones and missiles.

And in the process of doing this, they are sending the drones and missiles off course in a lot of instances.

Luke Vargas (2:34)

So that's, I guess, the more benign explanation for some of these events. There is a more worrying explanation that this is purposeful, perhaps.

Daniel Michaels (2:41)

Yes, indeed. There is a very deep suspicion that Russia is probing air defenses in Europe. Most of the countries bordering Ukraine and Russia in Europe are members of NATO.

NATO has put a lot more defenses along that border, and Russia would like to understand how those defenses work. So while some of the drones and missiles and other things entering NATO airspace from the east may be there as a result of electronic warfare, some of them may be there deliberately, that Russia has sent them in to see how NATO responds.

Luke Vargas (3:18)

Dan, if that is the case and Russia is probing those air defenses, what might they be learning? These drones, at least in these two most recent incidents, were shot down, but does that mean NATO airspace and its assets within it are secure?

Daniel Michaels (3:32)

Against drones these days, probably nobody is secure. Drones are very hard to spot, especially small ones. We had an example of this recently at an airport in Leipzig, in Germany, where a drone was discovered on the tarmac by an airport employee in the middle of the night. It apparently had been sent from somewhere nearby, not all the way from Russia, but there is evidence that it is Russian in origin. It does seem that Russia or people working for Russia are not only sending drones into NATO airspace from the outside, but trying to launch them from within Europe to see what they can get away with and potentially cause damage.

Luke Vargas (4:20)

Dan Michaels is the Wall Street Journal's Brussels Bureau Chief. Dan, thanks so much for the update.

Daniel Michaels (4:24)

Good talking with you.

Luke Vargas (4:28)

President Trump has said he'll substantially reduce joint military exercises with South Korea. In a social media post, Trump played up his very good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which the journal's Dossal Yoon says came on the eve of an 11-day exercise between American and South Korean forces to prepare for a potential North Korean attack.

Dossal Yoon (4:50)

President Trump posted on Truth Social that these joint drills with South Korea, which are annual, are costly and provocative. He also said that North Korea has been unthreatening and respectful while pointing to South Korea's lack of assistance with the Iran conflict. So this is an old playbook. Back in 2018, Trump suspended the joint drills during his summit with Kim Jong Un as a concession to move forward in denuclearization talks. On South Korea's front, they have said that they've noted President Trump's social media posts and that they hope that the great relationship between Trump and Kim will actually lead to dialogue.