Copenhagen’s Kastrup Airport was temporarily shut down on Monday night for several hours due to sightings of multiple drones. The incident, described by Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen as “the most severe attack on Danish infrastructure so far,” led to significant disruptions, impacting approximately 20,000 passengers. Operations at the airport resumed shortly after midnight.
Frederiksen suggested that Russian involvement in the drone activity could not be ruled out, drawing parallels to recent drone incursions in Poland and Romania, and the violation of Estonian airspace by Russian fighter jets. She indicated that the likely motive behind the incident was to cause disruption and test boundaries. Denmark’s intelligence service echoed these concerns, highlighting a “high threat of sabotage.”
While police acknowledged that the drones were operated by a “capable actor” and had approached the airport from various directions, they refrained from shooting them down due to the proximity of populated areas and active air traffic. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also commented on the incident, referring to a “Russia’s violation” of NATO airspace in Copenhagen.
Similar drone sightings also led to a temporary closure of Oslo Airport in Norway. The Norwegian Police Security Service is investigating potential links between the incidents in Denmark and Norway. This event occurs amidst heightened tensions in Europe, with previous similar incidents involving Russian drones and aircraft in NATO member states’ airspace.
Related Articles
- How Russia is quietly trying to win over the world beyond the West
- Russia may attack Nato in next four years, German defence chief warns
- UK jets to defend Polish skies after Russian drone incursion
More from the BBC
- Copenhagen and Oslo airports forced to close temporarily due to drone sightings
- How Russian-funded fake news network aims to disrupt election in Europe – BBC investigation
- BBC’s Steve Rosenberg attends ‘Russia’s answer to Eurovision’
- RAF jets join Nato air defence mission over Poland
- Ukraine says three killed in ‘massive’ Russian aerial attack