The Czech government has drafted new legislation aimed at protecting critical infrastructure from unauthorized drone flights, giving police and site operators expanded powers to intervene.
The proposal, responding to what authorities deem as a growing number of drones entering no-fly zones illegally, was submitted for review on Monday, July 21, according to a statement from Adéla Dittmannová of the interior ministry’s communications department.
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“In recent years, the number of incidents involving unauthorized movement of unmanned aerial systems near critical infrastructure elements has significantly increased,” Interior Minister Lubomír Metnar said.
“Current legislation does not allow operators or security forces to respond sufficiently and adequately in some situations,” he added.
Clear zones, defined conditions for intervention
The draft establishes clearly defined zones with heightened protection, primarily around critical infrastructure sites. Within the set zones, authorities would be permitted to eliminate unauthorized drones, while maintaining what the ministry calls a principle of proportionality.
The legislation is intended to create a legal framework allowing for an effective response to security incidents involving drones, without restricting drone operations that comply with existing rules.
According to the ministry, protecting life, health and property remains the guiding principle, and any intervention will be carried out in a way that avoids harm to the surrounding area.
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Transport Minister Ivan Bednárik called the legislation a necessary response to growing security threats.
“The world is changing, and so are security threats,” Bednárik said, according to the ministry’s statement. He added that “the state must give those who protect power plants, airports or other critical infrastructure the ability to respond in time.”
The proposal comes amid growing concerns across Europe over repeated incursions by suspected Russian drones entering NATO airspace, which forced airport closures, disrupted military installations and triggered warnings of possible escalation in countries such as Romania, Poland, Estonia and Denmark.
On May 7, two drones crashed in Latvia after entering the country’s airspace. The incident led to the resignation of the defense minister and later the prime minister, eventually leading to the formation of a center-right government in late May.
During the night of May 28-29, an explosive drone entered NATO’s airspace and struck a residential building in Galați, Romania, near Ukraine’s port of Reni, injuring two civilians. On June 1, Romania identified the drone as a Russian-origin Geran-2 used by Moscow’s forces, making Russia “solely responsible.”
In response, several NATO members have significantly ramped up their spending on defenses.
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