BRUSSELS

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday warned that recent suspected Russian violations of EU member states' airspace and critical infrastructure constitute a "coherent and escalating campaign" of hybrid warfare targeting the bloc "to unsettle our citizens, test our resolve, and divide our union."

Speaking at the European Parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg on recent violations of EU airspace, von der Leyen said: "This is not random harassment. It is a coherent and escalating campaign to unsettle our citizens, test our resolve, divide our union and weaken our support for Ukraine, and it is time to call it by its name. This is hybrid warfare, and we have to take it very seriously."

In recent days, several European countries have reported unidentified drone flights that prompted temporary airspace closures and security alerts. Officials have increasingly connected the incidents to Russia, which has denied involvement.

Brussels, in turn, has advanced an initiative to build a “drone wall” along the EU’s eastern borders.

"Flights have been grounded, jets scrambled, and countermeasures deployed to ensure the safety of our citizens. Make no mistake, this is part of a worrisome pattern of growing threats across our union," von der Leyen added.

Calling for a stronger and more coordinated European defense, the European Commission chief urged EU member states to equip the bloc with a "strategic capacity to respond" to the changing nature of warfare. She said the EU’s Readiness 2030 agenda aims to mobilize up to €800 billion ($929 billion) in defense spending by 2030, in close coordination with NATO.

Danish European Affairs Minister Marie Bjerre, speaking on behalf of the EU presidency, also condemned the "unacceptable" actions targeting the airspace of Poland, Romania and Estonia, calling for a "clear, united and resolute" European response.

"We must send a strong message to Russia. Europe stands together. We defend our security and we continue our support to Ukraine, and we need a truly pan-European mindset, because the threats go far beyond the eastern border," she said.