COPENHAGEN – For the second time this week, Danish airports have been forced to close due to the presence of unidentified drones in their airspace, an event that Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen has labeled a “systematic and hybrid operation by a professional actor.” The incidents, which caused widespread disruption and temporary closures, are being treated as a serious threat to critical infrastructure.
The latest incursion occurred overnight, affecting several airports in western Denmark on the Jutland peninsula. Billund Airport, the country’s second-busiest, was shut for an hour, while Aalborg Airport, which serves both commercial and military traffic, was closed for three hours. Police also reported drone sightings near the airports of Esbjerg and Sonderborg, as well as the Skrydstrup airbase, home to some of Denmark’s F-16 and F-35 fighter jets.
Minister Poulsen described the attacks as “a hybrid attack using different types of drones.” He stated that while there is no direct military threat, Denmark is taking the situation seriously and will reinforce its capacity to “detect” and “neutralise” drones. He also confirmed that Denmark has reached out to both NATO and the European Union to discuss the incidents, signaling the international gravity of the situation.
These latest events follow a similar incident earlier this week, when drones forced the closure of Copenhagen Airport on Monday night. Danish national police have noted that the drones’ flight patterns were similar in both cases, prompting investigations to find a connection.
The Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, had previously called the Copenhagen incident the “most serious attack yet on its critical infrastructure.” She, along with other European officials, has linked the disruption to a series of suspected Russian drone incursions and other disruptions across Europe, although she did not provide direct evidence.
In a separate statement, Russia’s ambassador to Denmark, Vladimir Barbin, denied any involvement by his country in the Copenhagen incident, dismissing the suspicions as “unfounded.”
Authorities have not yet apprehended any individuals in connection with the drone operations. Police confirmed they were unable to “take down” the drones, which flew over a large area for several hours before disappearing. The Danish government has pledged to acquire enhanced capabilities to deal with the emerging threat, and officials have warned that such “hybrid incidents” are “here to stay.”
