Danish defense reports drone sightings at military facilities

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — The Danish defense ministry said Saturday that drones were observed at several defense facilities overnight Friday into Saturday, the latest in a string of drone incidents in the Nordic country this week that led to temporary airport shutdowns. Drones were detected at Skrydstrup Air Base and the Jutland Dragoon Regiment, and local media reported drones near Karup Air Base, Denmark's largest military installation. The defense ministry did not confirm the Karup sighting, citing operational security and an ongoing investigation.

Officials indicated that the involvement near Karup did not produce a broad civil aviation impact, noting that airspace restrictions were applied briefly but there was little civil traffic in the area at the time. DR, Denmark's public broadcaster, reported that drones were in the air around 8 p.m., both inside and outside the fence of Karup Air Base. The region has at times limited civilian air activity, which moderated the practical impact of the sightings.

The renewed drone activity, including incidents over more than four Danish airports overnight Wednesday into Thursday and another over Copenhagen Airport, has raised security concerns amid what officials describe as suspected growing Russian aggression. Flights in the Danish capital were grounded for several hours on Monday night as authorities responded to the activity. Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said the flyovers were aimed at sowing fear and division and that the government would pursue additional tools to neutralize drones, including legislation to allow infrastructure owners to shoot them down.

For the upcoming European Union summit next week, the Danish defense ministry said the government had accepted an offer from Sweden to lend Denmark a military anti-drone capability, without providing further details. In neighboring Germany, drones were reported in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein from Thursday into Friday night. Interior Minister Sabine Sütterlin-Waack said police there were significantly expanding drone defense measures in coordination with other northern states, though she provided no further operational specifics.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a speech at the Schwarz Ecosystem Summit that while Germany is not at war, the country is no longer living in peace either, citing various attacks on infrastructure and data networks and other security threats across Europe. The remarks touched on broader security concerns, including the so-called Tiergarten murder case in which Vadim Krasikov was convicted of killing Zelimkhan Khangoshvili in 2019; Krasikov was returned to Russia in a 2024 prisoner swap between the United States and Russia, a detail cited in the context of ongoing security challenges in Europe.

The authorities in Denmark and across the border are coordinating investigations as they monitor drone activity and work to strengthen defenses around critical infrastructure. Officials stressed that investigations remain ongoing and that security protocols would continue to adapt as more information becomes available. The episode underscores persistently elevated concerns about drone usage and the potential for disruption to air traffic and security in northern Europe.