Kyiv, Sep 30 (AP) The Ukrainian military is sharing its expertise in combating Russian drones with European nations by dispatching a mission to Denmark for joint exercises, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Tuesday.
"Our military has commenced deploying a mission in Denmark to disseminate Ukrainian experience in drone defense," Zelenskyy remarked.
In a meeting last week, European defense ministers agreed to construct a "drone wall" along their borders with Russia and Ukraine, aiming to enhance the detection, tracking, and interception of drones infringing on European airspace.
Europe's preparedness and technological capabilities lag behind those of Ukraine and Russia, where advanced drone warfare has been a prominent feature of their ongoing three-year conflict following Moscow's large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"Ukrainian (drone) experience is currently the most relevant in Europe. Our experience, our specialists, and our technologies could become a crucial component of the future European drone wall – a large-scale project to ensure air safety," Zelenskyy added in a post on Telegram.
Recently, Denmark reported drone sightings near military facilities and over airports. Danish intelligence officials, while refraining from directly accusing a specific country, suggested a high risk of Russian espionage and potential sabotage within Denmark.
Poland, too, has sought Ukrainian expertise following the unauthorized entrance of Russian drones into Polish airspace.
"The outcomes of the (Ukrainian) mission in Denmark will define the framework for collaboration with other European countries," Zelenskyy explained.
The NATO military alliance is also troubled by the continued incursions into European airspace by Russian warplanes, heightening tensions with Moscow and fueling concerns that the conflict may extend beyond Ukraine's borders.
Meanwhile, peace negotiations initiated by the United States months ago appear to have stalled without significant progress.
In anticipation of two upcoming summits in Copenhagen this week, NATO is increasing its aerial surveillance over the Baltic Sea, while France, Germany, and Sweden are reinforcing Denmark's air defenses.
Tragically, a Russian drone strike killed an entire family of four in a village in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region overnight, local authorities reported. The family comprised a young married couple and their two sons, ages 4 and 6, according to Oleh Hryhorov, head of the regional administration, in a Telegram post.
"This is a grievous and irreparable loss for the entire community and the region,” Hryhorov declared. "The death of the family is a tragedy we will never forget or forgive."
Reacting to European plans for a protective "drone wall" against Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on Tuesday that "history shows that building walls is always detrimental." He expressed, "We continue to observe a militaristic approach rather than pursuing dialogue and a joint search for security guarantees." (AP) SKS SKS
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