Drones over Denmark: Hybrid-attacks heighten Nordic security concerns as EU and NATO respond

Danish defense officials confirmed drone activity at multiple defense facilities overnight Friday into Saturday, the latest in a string of aerial incursions authorities have linked to Russia. The Danish Defense Ministry said drones were spotted at defense facilities including Skrydstrup Air Base and the Jutland Dragoon Regiment, and local media reported drones in the air near Karup Air Base, Denmark’s largest, around 8 p.m. on Friday. The sightings come as European security services monitor a broader pattern of drone incursions across the region.

Danish authorities said additional drone activity was reported in Germany, Norway and Lithuania, underscoring a widening perimeter of concern as the Kremlin faces mounting scrutiny over a campaign many officials describe as hybrid warfare. The incidents have followed a sequence in which airports in Denmark temporarily closed after drone activity disrupted travel and air operations. Aalborg and Billund airports were shut overnight on Wednesday into Thursday as drones approached facilities where Danish F-16 and F-35 aircraft are based, while flights in Copenhagen were grounded for hours on Monday after drones were sighted over the capital. In total, several Danish airfields and bases, including Esbjerg and Sonderborg, were affected during the period of the disturbances.

The Danish defense minister described the wave of activity as a coordinated and professional operation and indicated that it was designed to sow fear and erode public confidence in critical infrastructure. Troels Lund Poulsen said the incidents pointed to a “hybrid attack” employing different types of drones, and he stressed that Denmark would pursue stronger legal and technical capabilities to neutralize threats, including legislative steps to empower infrastructure owners to shoot down drones when necessary. The government has said it will seek new measures to counter aerial threats while continuing to coordinate with international partners ahead of an upcoming EU summit.

In a sign of broader regional alarm, the Danish government has accepted an offer from Sweden to lend Denmark anti-drone capabilities ahead of upcoming meetings of European defense ministers. The move follows parallel steps in Germany and Poland to strengthen drone defenses and border security, as EU member states seek to present a united front against what officials describe as a rapidly evolving threat landscape near and within European airspace. Germany’s interior minister said northern states were stepping up drone defense measures, and German chancellery officials warned that while war is not declared, the period is one of heightened risk and tension.

The incidents have triggered a flurry of diplomatic and military activity across Europe. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen spoke with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg about the serious situation involving drones over Danish airports and military sites, and Stoltenberg affirmed that NATO allies were coordinating to bolster the security of critical infrastructure. In Britain, the Royal Navy dispatched HMS Iron Duke and a Wildcat helicopter to shadow the Russian frigate Neustrashimy and the Sparta IV cargo ship through the English Channel, underscoring a broader display of deterrence as Moscow’s activity in European waters continues to draw attention from allied capitals. Defence minister Luke Pollard said the Royal Navy’s presence demonstrates the United Kingdom’s commitment to protecting sea lanes, undersea cables and allied interests under NATO’s eastern flank posture.

Analysts describe the situation as part of an ongoing Kremlin approach to pressure NATO without triggering open conflict, raising concerns about the stability of northern Europe’s airspace and infrastructure. European ministers have floated plans for a continent-wide “drone wall” to counter incursions, while member states, including Poland and the Baltic states, have already moved to fast-track legal authorities and military options to respond to drone threats.

Poland, which has already downed several hostile drones in recent weeks, has vowed to shoot down any hostile objects over Ukraine under rapid-fire laws expanding military freedoms. Russian officials, by contrast, have warned against shooting down Russian aircraft, with Moscow arguing such moves could provoke a broader conflict. The Kremlin’s posture has prompted a reassessment of security measures by Denmark and its partners as they balance deterrence with the risk of escalation in a tense geopolitical environment.

The Danish defense ministry and allied partners emphasized that the incidents represent a testing ground for defenses rather than an outright attack. The government said it would accelerate the deployment of anti-drone systems and explore legislative changes to empower infrastructure owners to neutralize drones, while maintaining a transparent and coordinated approach with European neighbors and NATO.