Mysterious drone sightings grounded flights at Copenhagen and Oslo’s major airports for several hours overnight, leading to widespread chaos and delays that stretched into Tuesday.
The origin and operators of these drones remain unknown, and investigators are still determining if the incidents in Oslo and Copenhagen are connected. However, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen minced no words, calling it the “most serious attack so far” on her nation’s vital infrastructure, emphasizing that no potential explanations were being dismissed.
This incident occurs as several European nations, particularly those bordering Ukraine, have been on high alert for airspace violations, following recent reports of Russian aircraft entering Polish, Estonian, and Romanian skies.
Prime Minister Frederiksen highlighted that Copenhagen police described the event as the work of a “capable actor,” and suggested a clear link to a recent pattern of drone attacks, airspace breaches, and cyberattacks targeting airports across Europe.
At a news conference in Brussels, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed discussions with Danish officials but cautioned that it was premature to identify the culprits behind these incursions.
Earlier, Mr. Rutte led a key NATO meeting to address Russian fighter jets violating Estonian airspace last week. This marked the second time in two weeks that a NATO member invoked Article 4, a measure for formal security threat discussions, following more than 20 Russian battle drones entering Polish airspace on September 9th and 10th.
Ms. Frederiksen explicitly told Denmark’s state broadcaster, DR, that she could not “rule out in any way that it is Russia.”
The initial drone sightings in Denmark occurred Monday night at Copenhagen Airport, where multiple large drones hovered for four hours. This prompted authorities to suspend all takeoffs and landings, as confirmed by Jens Jespersen, chief superintendent of the Danish police.
An airport spokeswoman confirmed that incoming flights were rerouted to alternative airports while police conducted their investigation.
Hours later, Oslo Airport experienced a similar shutdown due to reported drone sightings, diverting flights across Norway. Gisle Sveen, operations manager for the Norwegian East Police District, noted that airport personnel had twice witnessed lights in the sky consistent with drones.
By early Tuesday, both airports had resumed operations, with the majority of flights returning to schedule. Copenhagen Airport’s press office stated that traffic had “normalized” after approximately 110 delayed flights, anticipating full normalcy by Wednesday.
Earlier this month, NATO deployed fighter jets to intercept Russian drones violating Polish airspace. Subsequently, Romania reported a Russian drone in its airspace, and last week, three Russian fighter jets breached Estonian airspace, leading to NATO warplanes being scrambled for interception.
Polish authorities interpreted these airspace intrusions as a deliberate attempt by Russia to gauge NATO’s preparedness.
Russia, however, has denied any violation of Estonian airspace and provided conflicting statements regarding the Polish drone incident. Belarus, a key Russian ally, suggested the drones might have accidentally strayed, a claim countered by the Russian Foreign Ministry which denied possessing drones with such range.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated on Monday that autonomous devices, such as drones, represent a new era in warfare that all nations must prepare for, affirming Poland’s readiness to destroy any object posing a threat.
Mr. Tusk assured reporters, “We will make the decision to shoot down flying objects without question when they violate our territory and fly over Poland.”
Just last week, Denmark revealed plans to significantly boost its military capabilities, including acquiring long-range weaponry, as a direct response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ms. Frederiksen emphasized, “There is no doubt that Russia will be a threat to Denmark and Europe for many years to come.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitri S. Peskov dismissed any Russian involvement in the Copenhagen Airport drone incident, telling reporters on Tuesday, “Presenting baseless accusations every time, frankly, leads to a point where such statements are no longer taken seriously.”
These drone incidents compounded existing disruptions to European air travel, which had already seen operations at major hubs like Berlin, Brussels, Dublin, and London severely impacted by a recent cyberattack.
The escalating presence of drones near or within airport airspace has emerged as a growing and significant threat in recent years.
Recalling past incidents, drones over Gatwick Airport’s runway in December 2018 grounded hundreds of flights. The following month, pilots spotting a drone near Newark Liberty International Airport led to the halt of all incoming flights there.