Just last week, Henrik Abildgaard, a Danish photographer, stepped onto his porch for a late-night cigarette in Vestbjerg, a quiet town in northern Denmark situated close to a military base.
To his astonishment, he witnessed “something whizzing across the sky and flashing red and green.” A mere thirty minutes later, another mysterious object appeared.
He soon realized, after comparing his video with TV reports, that he had witnessed one of the enigmatic drone flights that have unnerved Denmark over the past ten days. Multiple large drones have been observed near military installations and major airports, including Copenhagen’s, before inexplicably disappearing into the darkness.
Authorities and analysts alike suggest these overflights are orchestrated by Russia, potentially as a tactic to test Europe’s defenses, create public anxiety, and foster disunity.
This tactic appears to be achieving its aim. European Union leaders convened in Copenhagen under heightened security this past Wednesday to address defense and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The palpable public apprehension in Denmark regarding these drone incidents highlights how Russia’s perceived threat is expanding, transforming a distant conflict into a pressing local concern.
Valdemar Badsted, a salesperson at Wolf Tactical, a military surplus store in Copenhagen, noted a “crazy increase in sales,” attributing it to growing public apprehension about potential conflict.
At Wolf Tactical, sales of freeze-dried camping meals have surged by 400 percent, according to the owner. Danish news reports confirm a similar trend nationwide, with emergency rations, radios, rice, and even canned mackerel flying off the shelves. The national broadcaster recently aired a segment titled, “How to talk to your child about drones and hybrid attacks,” reflecting the widespread concern.
This phenomenon isn’t confined to Denmark. Since September 22nd, Norway has also reported unknown drones in its airspace, prompting a brief closure of Oslo airport. Meanwhile, Swedish police are investigating multiple reports of drones hovering near a sensitive naval base.
The cumulative effect has unleashed a wave of “UFO” hysteria across the Scandinavian region.
Emergency hotlines in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway have been inundated with calls from worried citizens, many of whom reported sightings that were later identified as small aircraft, distant industrial lights, or even just stars in the clear night sky. This influx has overwhelmed authorities, suggesting that such disruption may be a deliberate part of the strategy.
Adding to the regional tensions, Russian jets recently made provocative incursions into NATO airspace over Estonia, and Russian drones were intercepted and shot down after entering Polish territory.
According to analysts, Denmark presents another strategic target for Russian antagonism. The nation has been a vocal critic of Russia and a staunch ally of Ukraine, is a founding member of NATO, and yet possesses notably weaker defenses.
Peter Viggo Jakobsen, a professor at the Royal Danish Defense College, contrasted Denmark’s current stance with Theodore Roosevelt’s famous diplomatic maxim: “Speak softly and carry a big stick.”
He observed, “Denmark has been doing the opposite. Denmark is screaming its head off — and we don’t have any stick,” highlighting the country’s vulnerable position.
While Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s government has increased military expenditures, including investments in long-range precision weapons, many Danes believe the nation has not adequately prioritized its defense.
Abildgaard, the photographer who first spotted the drones, lamented that Denmark’s defenses have effectively been “on an answering machine that says, ‘We’re on a break, just come on in.'”
He found it “absurd” that Ukraine, a nation actively engaged in a fierce drone conflict with Russia, had to send its expert drone teams to Denmark to offer assistance, a reversal of the typical aid flow from Europe to Ukraine.
Danish officials admitted their inability to track the drones entering or exiting their airspace, further acknowledging a lack of ground-based air defense systems for interception. They also highlighted the danger of shooting down drones in populated areas, citing instances in Ukraine where falling debris has caused casualties.
While Prime Minister Frederiksen strongly hinted at Russian involvement, she stopped short of directly accusing the nation.
In an interview, Ms. Frederiksen stated, “Our authorities haven’t concluded on that question, but when I look at what’s going on around Europe, I don’t think we can see this situation in Denmark disconnected from that. And unfortunately, Russia plays a very negative destructive role,” linking the local incidents to broader European tensions.
This challenge plagues not only Denmark’s leader but also other European heads of state, who are advocating for a comprehensive “drone wall” comprising interconnected radar stations and air defense systems.
However, drones operate in a complex “gray zone” of airspace. Traditional military detection systems are designed for larger targets such as jets or missiles, while civilian airports primarily track commercial air traffic. Police forces, on the other hand, lack the specialized equipment to counter drone threats effectively.
Katja Bego, a security analyst at Chatham House in London, concluded, “That makes this such a scary question. It’s quite accessible technology and it’s pretty hard to stop,” underscoring the pervasive nature of the threat.