Mark Leonard is joined by Ulrike Franke, ECFR senior policy fellow, for an Emergency Room podcast. Together, they unpack the recent wave of drone incursions across European airspace in Poland, Romania and Denmark, and discuss what these hybrid threats reveal about Russian tactics and NATO’s readiness.

How serious are these drone sightings and what are their origins? What kind of counter-drone defences should Europe be investing in? Why did Poland only shoot down some drones, and what does this signal to Moscow? And if Putin is probing NATO’s red lines, what might his next move be?

This episode was recorded on September 25th, 2025

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