Airspace over Copenhagen Airport was closed for several hours Monday night after unidentified drones appeared over the airfield, grounding flights and causing major disruptions. Police said two to three drones hovered over the airport before disappearing, and while there was no indication of intent to cause harm, the incident forced delays and cancellations well into Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.
At a press conference, Copenhagen Police inspector Jes Jespersen described the operators as “a capable actor,” noting the drones’ lights switched on and off and appeared to fly in deliberate patterns.
“It all indicates that you are not out to attack anyone, but you are out to show off and maybe to practice,” Jespersen said.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the flyover “the most serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure to date.”
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said it was too early to determine if Russia was involved. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov flatly dismissed the claims as “unfounded accusations.”
A drone was also spotted at Oslo Airport in Norway the same evening, which led controllers to briefly limit traffic to one runway before operations returned to normal, according to broadcaster NRK.
No direct link has been established between the events, but the timing raised concerns across the region, particularly in the context of recent reports of Russian drones downed over Poland and fighter jets entering Estonian airspace.
European leaders are warning of growing security risks. The drone incidents also come following a series of cyberattacks on check-in systems across several large European airports over the last few days.
“Russia is testing the European borders, also probing our resolve and undermining our security,” European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper said.
Denmark is expected to join other front-line countries Friday to discuss EU plans for a coordinated “drone wall.”
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