(MENAFN) UK Defense Minister John Healey cautioned that the continent has entered what he described as a sharply deteriorating security climate, pointing to escalating dangers tied to Russia and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. He characterized the moment as a “new era of threat,” noting that “Russian aggression is growing, (and) the war in Ukraine continues to rage.”

Speaking in Berlin alongside the defense ministers of the E5 group—France, Germany, Italy, and Poland—Healey emphasized that the risks confronting Europe have multiplied. He cited recent provocations, including drone incidents in Poland and Russian aircraft crossing into Estonian airspace, adding that NATO members have already been pushed to invoke Article 4 consultations twice. According to him, this environment has made cooperation within the E5 even more critical, saying the forum is now “more important… than it was a year ago,” and that its members intend to “continue to strengthen the E5 in the year ahead.”

He stressed that the UK “takes the defense of Europe extremely seriously,” committing to increased efforts through NATO as well as direct collaboration with fellow E5 partners. Healey also announced a series of counter-drone deployments following recent aerial threats. Specialists have already been dispatched to Denmark and Belgium, and units from the UK’s 12 Regiment—an air-defense formation trained to detect and counter unmanned aircraft—are currently operating in Finland.

Reports indicate a surge in unidentified drone flights across at least ten European countries, including Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Germany. The rise in such activity has heightened concerns about gaps in both EU and NATO air-defense systems, prompting renewed urgency for coordinated protective measures.

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