Drone sightings led to the temporary closure of main airports in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Oslo, Norway, for several hours overnight, causing significant flight disruptions expected to continue into Tuesday.
Authorities are currently investigating the origin and operators of these drones, and whether the incidents in Oslo and Copenhagen are connected. Denmark’s Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, issued a statement describing the event as the “most serious attack so far” on the country’s critical infrastructure, emphasizing that no possibilities regarding responsibility were being ruled out.
This incident comes amidst heightened alert across several European countries, particularly those bordering Ukraine, following recent incursions by Russian aircraft into Polish, Estonian, and Romanian airspace. Copenhagen police indicated the episode involved a “capable actor” and noted its similarity to recent drone attacks, airspace violations, and cyberattacks targeting other European airports.
At a news conference in Brussels on Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated he was in contact with Danish officials but confirmed it was too early to determine who was responsible. This discussion followed a meeting of NATO’s principal decision-making body to address recent Russian fighter jet incursions into Estonian airspace, an event that triggered a rarely used security consultation mechanism, Article 4 of NATO’s treaty.
In Denmark, the initial drone reports came from Copenhagen Airport on Monday night. Multiple large drones were observed flying over the airport for four hours, prompting authorities to suspend all takeoffs and landings. Inbound flights were diverted to other airports as police conducted their investigation. An airport hall was seen filled with passengers, queuing for new tickets, highlighting the widespread disruption caused by the incident.
Just a few hours later, Oslo Airport experienced similar closures due to drone-like lights spotted in the sky by airport staff, leading to diversions of flights to other Norwegian airports.
Both airports resumed operations early Tuesday morning, though Copenhagen Airport warned of continued delays and cancellations throughout the day.
Eastern and Northern European nations have been on high alert as Russia has escalated its use of drones in its ongoing conflict with Ukraine. Recent incidents include NATO fighter jets intercepting Russian drones over Polish airspace, a Russian drone entering Romanian airspace, and Russian fighter jets violating Estonian airspace, all prompting NATO to launch warplanes. Polish authorities have characterized these airspace intrusions as deliberate attempts by Russia to test NATO’s readiness.
Russia, however, has denied any involvement in the Copenhagen drone incident, with the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, dismissing such accusations as “baseless.” Police officers were observed near a secured fence at Copenhagen airport, underscoring the enhanced security measures taken during the closure.
The recent drone sightings are part of a broader trend of increased threats to air travel. This week alone, several major European airports, including Berlin, Dublin, Brussels, and London’s Heathrow, faced severe operational disruptions due to a separate cyberattack. Past incidents, such as drones hovering over Gatwick Airport in December 2018 and a drone sighting near Newark Liberty International Airport in early 2019, have also demonstrated the growing vulnerability of airports to drone activity.