European countries are banding together on missile defence
The Ukraine war shows how dangerously few interceptors they have
Europe’s air defences are in a bad state. Its armies have not thought seriously about defending their own skies for some time. But as Russian missiles and drones pound Ukrainian cities, Europe is scrambling to retool. The continent’s missile defences are stretched thin; most countries lack enough interceptors to thwart massed attacks. Many have donated precious batteries to Ukraine.
Explore more
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Fixing the roof”
Europe July 27th 2024
- The Germany-shaped void at Europe’s heart
- Vadym Sukharevsky, the man in charge of Ukraine’s drones
- Italian right-wingers have renamed Milan’s airport after Silvio Berlusconi
- European countries are banding together on missile defence
- Peter Magyar is reinvigorating Hungary’s struggling opposition
- To understand the perils of AI, look to a Czech novel—from 1936
From the July 27th 2024 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionDiscover more
Marine Le Pen spooks the bond markets
She threatens to bring down the French government, but also faces a possible ban from politics
The maths of Europe’s military black hole
It needs to spend to defend, but voters may balk
Ukraine’s warriors brace for a Kremlin surge in the south
Vladimir Putin’s war machine is pushing harder and crushing Ukrainian morale
Vladimir Putin fires a new missile to amplify his nuclear threats
The attack on Ukraine is part of a new era of missile warfare
A rise in antisemitism puts Europe’s liberal values to the test
The return of Europe’s oldest scourge
Once dominant, Germany is now desperate
As an election looms its business model is breaking down