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'Drone wall' will not be completely impenetrable for UAVs — Latvian defense minister

Andris Spruds underscored the importance of continuously advancing anti-drone defense systems

VILNIUS, April 22. /TASS/. Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds has firmly stated that the so-called "drone wall" proposed by the European Commission will never serve as an insurmountable barrier to drone activity.

"We are doing everything possible to detect and counter drones, but the 'drone wall' will never be a wall of stone or concrete," Spruds explained during an interview with Latvian Television (LTV). "Much like Israel's Iron Dome, it's not actually made of iron nor is it a dome. It's about the ability to detect and neutralize threats."

He underscored the importance of continuously advancing anti-drone defense systems. Looking ahead, the Latvian armed forces plan to acquire 500 new interceptor drones this year. In September 2025, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that Brussels would propose immediate measures to establish a "drone wall" along Europe’s eastern border.

This initiative is a collaborative effort involving Germany, Poland, Finland, and the Baltic states, aiming to deploy a multilayered network of monitoring and automated defense systems along the border with Russia to enhance security against drone threats.

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