Drone Sightings Disrupt Danish Airports Amid Suspected Russian “Hybrid Attacks”

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A suspected drone sighting briefly shut down Denmark’s Aalborg Airport on Friday for the second time in less than 24 hours, intensifying government concerns that the country is facing “hybrid attacks” linked to Russia.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Thursday that drones spotted at multiple airports in recent days were part of “unconventional warfare” tactics aimed at spreading fear and testing European security.

“Over recent days, Denmark has been the victim of hybrid attacks,” Frederiksen said in a video message on social media. “Such drone flights could multiply.”

The warnings follow sightings of drones over Aalborg, Esbjerg, Sonderborg and the Skrydstrup air base between Wednesday and Friday. Aalborg, in northern Denmark, was forced to close for several hours on Wednesday and again for an hour on Friday morning after fresh activity.

Security Concerns and Investigations

North Jutland police chief inspector Jesper Bojgaard Madsen said the drones “flew over a very large area over a couple of hours” but could not be intercepted. Denmark’s intelligence service and armed forces are jointly investigating but have yet to identify those responsible.

Military intelligence chief Finn Borch said the “risk of Russian sabotage in Denmark is high,” while Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen described the flights as “the work of a professional actor” due to their coordination across several sites.

Officials stressed that while the incidents posed “no direct military threat,” they reflected a systematic attempt to destabilize the country.

Russian Response

Moscow has denied any involvement. The Russian embassy in Copenhagen called the allegations “a staged provocation,” rejecting suggestions that the drone sightings were linked to its government.

EU and NATO Reactions

The drone incursions come as tensions rise across northern and eastern Europe. Similar incidents have been reported in Norway, Poland, Romania, and Estonia, including airspace violations by Russian fighter jets.

France has offered to assist in securing Danish airspace, with President Emmanuel Macron pledging his country’s readiness “to contribute to the security of Danish airspace.”

Frederiksen also confirmed she had spoken with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, while Poulsen said the government had not yet decided whether to invoke NATO’s Article 4, which allows member states to call urgent consultations when security is threatened.

Public Reactions

The incidents have unsettled some Danes.
“I feel rather insecure,” said Birgit Larsen, an 85-year-old Copenhagen resident. “I live in a country where there has been peace since 1945. I am not really used to thinking about war.”

Others downplayed the threat.
“It’s probably Russia testing Europe’s borders — trying to provoke, but not directly threaten,” said Torsten Froling, 48.

Next Steps

Denmark’s Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said the country would invest in new capabilities to detect and neutralize drones. Meanwhile, Copenhagen will join EU partners on Friday to discuss building a collective “anti-drone wall” along Europe’s eastern frontier with Russia.

The incidents come just days before Denmark is set to host a European Union summit, underscoring concerns that such provocations could escalate regional tensions linked to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.