Just last week, a Danish photographer named Henrik Abildgaard was enjoying a cigarette on his porch in Vestbjerg, a small town in northern Denmark, coincidentally located near a military base.
To his surprise, he witnessed “something whizzing across the sky, flashing red and green.” About thirty minutes later, another identical object appeared.
He soon realized he was witnessing one of the enigmatic drone flights that have been unsettling Denmark for the past ten days. Large drones had been reported hovering over military installations and major airports, including Copenhagen’s, before disappearing without a trace.
Both analysts and authorities strongly suggest Russia is orchestrating these overflights. The suspected motive: to test Europe’s defenses, create discord, and stir public unease.
This strategy appears to be effective. Amid heightened security, European Union leaders convened in Copenhagen to discuss defense and the conflict in Ukraine. The widespread anxiety in Denmark underscores how Russia’s actions are extending the perimeter of concern, making a distant conflict feel acutely close to home.
“We’ve seen a crazy increase in sales,” noted Valdemar Badsted, a salesperson at Wolf Tactical, a military surplus store in Copenhagen. “People are genuinely worried about the prospect of war.”
Indeed, Wolf Tactical’s owner reported a 400 percent spike in freeze-dried camping food sales. Other Danish retailers have also seen emergency rations, emergency radios, rice, and even canned mackerel flying off the shelves. The public broadcaster recently released a guide titled “How to talk to your child about drones and hybrid attacks.”
This phenomenon isn’t limited to Denmark. Since September 22nd, Norwegian authorities have detected unidentified drones in their airspace, leading to a temporary shutdown of Oslo airport. Swedish police are also investigating reports of drones near a naval base.
Collectively, these incidents have triggered what can only be described as a “UFO craze” throughout Scandinavia.
Police emergency lines in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway have been swamped with calls from concerned citizens reporting false alarms, often mistaking small planes, industrial lights, or even stars for drones. This overwhelming response may very well be the intended effect.
Adding to the tensions, Russian jets recently made provocative incursions into NATO airspace over Estonia, and Russian drones were intercepted and shot down after entering Polish territory.
Analysts suggest Denmark is a logical target for Russian antagonism due to its vocal criticism of Russia, strong support for Ukraine, status as a founding NATO member, and perceived defensive weaknesses.
Peter Viggo Jakobsen, a professor at the Royal Danish Defense College, referenced Theodore Roosevelt’s famous diplomatic maxim: “Speak softly and carry a big stick.”
“Denmark, however, has been doing the exact opposite,” Mr. Jakobsen remarked. “We’re screaming our heads off, but without a ‘big stick’ to back it up.”
Despite Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s government increasing military spending, including investments in long-range precision weapons, many Danes believe their country has not adequately prioritized its national defense.
“It’s as if we’ve just put an answering machine on, saying, ‘We’re on a break, just come on in,'” commented Mr. Abildgaard, reflecting on the drone sightings he witnessed.
He found it “absurd” that experienced drone experts from Ukraine, a nation actively engaged in a drone war with Russia, had to be dispatched to Denmark to offer assistance, a reversal of the usual European support for Ukraine.
Danish officials admitted their inability to track the drones entering or exiting their airspace and acknowledged a lack of ground-based air defense systems to intercept them. They also highlighted the dangers of shooting down drones in populated areas, citing casualties from falling debris in Ukraine.
Ms. Frederiksen hinted at Russian involvement in the incursions, though she stopped short of explicitly stating it.
“Our authorities haven’t reached a definitive conclusion,” Ms. Frederiksen stated in an interview, “but considering events across Europe, I believe Denmark’s situation cannot be viewed in isolation. Unfortunately, Russia is playing a very negative and destructive role.”
This challenge vexes not only Denmark’s leader but also other European heads of state, who are advocating for a “drone wall” comprising interconnected radar stations and air defense systems.
However, drones occupy a complicated “gray zone” in airspace. Conventional military detection systems are designed for larger targets such as jets and missiles, while civilian airports primarily track commercial air traffic. Local police forces are simply not equipped to handle sophisticated drone threats.
“This presents a truly frightening dilemma,” commented Katja Bego, a security analyst at Chatham House in London. “The technology is readily available, yet incredibly difficult to counter.”
Marc Santora, Andrew Kramer and Nastya Kuznietsova contributed reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine. Christina Anderson contributed reporting from Stockholm. Henrik Libell contributed reporting from Oslo, Jeanna Smialek contributed reporting from Brussels and Johanna Lemola contributed reporting from Helsinki, Finland.