Danish authorities confirmed a series of unsettling drone sightings at several airports overnight, including a military facility. A government official characterized these incidents as a deliberate attempt to sow fear within the nation.
Aalborg Airport, which serves both commercial and military aviation, experienced a multi-hour shutdown. Additionally, Billund Airport, Denmark’s second-largest, temporarily ceased operations following unverified reports of drone activity.
Further drone detections were reported near two airports in the southern regions of Denmark, as well as an airbase housing some of the country’s fighter jets, according to police statements.
The origin and operators of these drones remain unknown. However, these events unfold amidst a period of heightened vigilance across Europe, sparked by recent intrusions of Russian aircraft into the airspaces of Poland, Estonia, and Romania.
Just days prior, similar drone sightings necessitated the closure of Copenhagen Airport, Denmark’s busiest hub. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, speaking on Tuesday, labeled this “the most serious attack so far” on Denmark’s vital infrastructure, declining to rule out Russian involvement.
During a Brussels news conference on Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated it was premature to assign blame for the incursions. The Kremlin, for its part, denied any Russian involvement in the Copenhagen Airport drone incident.
On Thursday, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen acknowledged that while the government could not definitively conclude Russian involvement in the latest incidents, it also could not dismiss the possibility, especially in light of Europe’s current security landscape.
Minister Poulsen emphasized that these attacks did not pose an immediate military threat but starkly highlighted Denmark’s susceptibility to hybrid warfare and acts of infrastructure sabotage. He confirmed that a “professional actor” was behind the recent events, describing it as a “systematic operation, with systematic navigation across several locations simultaneously.”
Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard echoed these concerns, adding, “The aim of these is to create fear, division and make us feel afraid.”
Poulsen further revealed that the Danish government is collaborating with its NATO allies and is considering invoking Article 4 of the alliance’s treaty. This article allows a member state to initiate formal discussions about a threat to its national security, a measure previously taken by Poland after over 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace on September 9 and 10.
Investigations into the incidents are underway, with the police working alongside the Danish Security and Intelligence Service and the armed forces.
The increasing frequency of drones operating near airports has emerged as a significant global security challenge in recent years. Notable past incidents include hundreds of flight disruptions at Gatwick Airport near London in December 2018, and a halt to all flights at Newark Liberty International Airport the following month due to pilot reports of nearby drone activity.