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Media: Destroying drones entering Polish airspace cost NATO 1.2 million euros

11 September 2025 13:56 (UTC +04:00)

The destruction of Russian unmanned aerial vehicles that entered Polish airspace has cost NATO 1.2 million euros, APA reports, citing Bild.

According to the publication, F-35 fighter jets and “AIM-9 Sidewinder” missiles, each costing approximately 400,000 euros, were used to shoot down the drones, and a total of three missiles were fired.

At the same time, the value of a single drone is measured in just a few thousand euros.

It is reported that a high-ranking NATO official has acknowledged that the continued use of F-35s to destroy drones is unreasonable and noted that the Alliance is considering other cheaper alternatives.

The publication states that NATO could learn cost-effective methods of combating drones from Ukraine, as Ukraine uses mobile fire groups to shoot down drones and possesses specialized equipment for detecting them.

Note that during the night of September 10, Polish and NATO air defense systems neutralized multiple drones that had entered Polish airspace from Russian territory.