Kyiv says NATO states face rising hybrid threats and could benefit from Ukraine’s combat-tested defences.

Ukraine is urging European allies to integrate air defence networks to intercept Russian drones and missiles over Ukraine before they approach NATO airspace, following recent incursions over Poland and Estonia. The concept, promoted by officials including parliamentary foreign affairs chair Oleksandr Merezhko and defence adviser Bohdan Popov, envisages NATO Patriot batteries positioned in neighbouring alliance states and fighter jets deployed during mass strikes. President Volodymyr Zelensky pressed the case at the UN Security Council on 23 September, arguing that neutralising Russia’s air campaign would sap its ground war, after discussions with US President Donald Trump and European leaders.

Kyiv frames the plan as mutually beneficial: NATO countries would blunt threats earlier, while western Ukraine would gain extra cover, freeing resources for the eastern front. The push follows a series of hybrid operations attributed to Russia, including suspected arson attacks in Poland and Lithuania, sabotage of Baltic Sea infrastructure and Europe-wide disinformation efforts. Demand for Ukraine’s interceptor drones has accelerated after Poland resorted to costly missiles to down hostile aircraft this month, and foreign investment in Ukrainian defence technology has grown since the full-scale invasion.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has characterised Europe as already in conflict through hybrid means. Yet responses vary amid budget pressures: Nordic and Baltic states tend to prioritise arming Ukraine, while larger economies such as France and Italy are more cautious. Bloomberg’s Alex Kokcharov warns Russia continues to seize ground and strike deep into Ukraine, with scant signs of genuine interest in peace.

Source: Kyiv Independent.