Danish drone incidents expose vulnerabilities as airports close and responses are debated

A night of drone activity across western Denmark has left major airports briefly closed and exposed vulnerabilities in the country’s defenses, even as no one was harmed. Danish officials characterized the incident as systematic and hybrid in nature, underscoring how critical infrastructure can be targeted without causing direct physical damage.

Aalborg and Billund airports were among those affected, with drones spotted at Esbjerg, Sonderborg and Skrydstrup. Aalborg also serves as a military base, and Skrydstrup houses F-35 and F-16 aircraft. Drones were seen over the Jutland Dragoon regiment in Holstebro as well. Authorities reported no injuries and no shots fired, but the episodes disrupted flights and drew urgent questions about Denmark’s resilience and readiness in the face of hybrid warfare.

Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said the incidents appeared “systematic” because of the number of locations involved, describing the episode as a hybrid attack. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen noted Russia could not be ruled out as a potential actor, though Danish officials said there was no conclusive evidence of Moscow’s involvement. Russia has rejected the allegations as provocation. The government has asked whether Denmark should invoke NATO’s Article 4, which calls for allied consultation when a member’s security is threatened, though no decision had been announced at the time of the briefing.

Norway, Estonia, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania have recently faced hybrid attacks on allied territory or near its edges, underscoring a broader regional risk. Estonia and Poland have invoked Article 4 this month after Russian air activity and drone incursions, highlighting how the region is increasingly exposed to non-traditional forms of aggression. Danish officials stressed that the current case does not prove a foreign campaign on the scale seen elsewhere, but the risk assessment remains urgent as authorities review the incident and its implications for national security.

The drone disruptions come as Denmark contemplates longer-term fixes. The government has announced plans for an integrated, layered air defense and for investing in long-range precision weapons to reach targets beyond Danish borders. But officials cautioned that such capabilities do not offer an immediate remedy for the current situation, noting that constructing effective counter-drone systems is technically easier to design than to deploy on short notice in real-world settings. “From an engineering perspective it’s easier to build a drone that can fly than to build something that can keep them from flying,” said Kjeld Jensen, who leads the drone centre at the University of South Denmark.

Experts also stressed that decisions about taking down drones must balance safety and security. While police in Jutland said they would attempt takedowns if it could be done safely, the military has signaled it could engage drones over military installations if threat assessments indicated a clear danger, but so far has abstained from shoot-downs to avoid collateral harm. “When you shoot something down in the air, something also comes down again,” said defence chief Michael Hyldgaard, underscoring the complexities of intervention in civilian airspace.

A second line of discussion centers on near-term measures to detect and deter such incursions. Peter Viggo Jakobsen of the Royal Danish Defence College said the present approach is not sustainable and emphasized the need for new ideas to counter persistent drone threats. Denmark’s cautious posture differs from Poland’s bolder response to Russia’s drone activity earlier this month, where authorities faced sharp political ultimatums and renewed calls for stronger deterrence. In parallel, Denmark, along with several NATO allies and Ukraine, is set to discuss a proposed drone-detection framework and the broader “drone wall” concept championed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, aimed at fortifying eastern borders and improving early warning capabilities.

If the incursions were directed by a foreign actor, observers say the operation would align with hybrid warfare goals: to degrade confidence in public safety, strain national defense resources, and test the speed and effectiveness of the government’s response. Danish officials stress that even as investigations continue, the episode has already produced a clear takeaway: vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure must be addressed urgently, and national leadership must articulate a credible plan for countering drone-enabled threats while maintaining public safety and confidence.

The government raised its crisis level in response to the drone activity and signaled that Denmark is entering a new strategic phase where defense, policing, and intelligence agencies must coordinate more closely. The incidents illuminate a difficult balance between preventing harm, avoiding escalation, and presenting a robust, transparent plan to protect civilian life and national security in a landscape of evolving hybrid threats. Denmark’s experience this week has accelerated a broader European conversation about deterrence, detection, and the practical steps needed to reduce risk from swarms of drones and other emerging technologies.