BERLIN (AP) — The Danish Ministry of Defense said on Saturday that “drones are being observed in several of Danish defense facilities.”
New drone sightings from Friday to Saturday came after several drone sightings in Scandinavian countries earlier this week, some of which came after temporarily closing the Danish airport.
Several local media reported that one or more drones were seen near or above the Karup Air Base, Denmark’s largest military base.
The Ministry of Defense refused to confirm sightings at Karup or elsewhere, saying “Denive Denmark does not want to further elaborate on the drone sightings due to operational security and ongoing investigations.”
The ministry later revealed to the public broadcaster DR that it reported additional drone activities in the Skrydstrup Air Base and the Jutland Dragoon regiment. That earlier statement seemed to imply the timing and was widely reported.
The ministry was unable to contact us immediately for confirmation, but the website’s statement regarding the incident at the base and barracks and the incident at the barracks was dated Thursday, but no sightings were confirmed directly that day.
Anxiety and doubt
Tensions have risen in Denmark after various reports of drone activity, with hundreds of witnesses reported by the citizens involved not officially confirmed. Nevertheless, the public is being asked to report all suspicious activities to the police.
On Saturday, the doctor and several other local media reported that Calp had drones in the air both inside and outside the Air Force Base around 8pm on Friday, citing Simon Skelkia, mission manager for the Central and West Jatland police.
The doctor said that for a while the airspace had been closed to civil air traffic, but that was not so practical as Calp currently has no civil aviation.
Repeated, unknown drone activities, including similar incidents at four or more Danish airports and Copenhagen airports from Wednesday through Thursday, raised concerns about Northern Europe’s security amid a suspected increase in Russian invasions.
The flight was grounded in the Danish capital for hours on Monday night.
The goal of the high-over is to sow fear and division, Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard added Thursday that the country is seeking additional ways to neutralize drones, including proposing legislation to allow infrastructure owners to shoot down them.
For next week’s European Union summit, the Danish Ministry of Defense said in X that the country’s government has accepted an offer from Sweden to “lending Denmark military anti-drone capabilities.”
German report drone sightings
In neighbouring Germany, several drones were reported in Germany’s Schleswig-Holstein province, in northern Germany, adjacent to Denmark, between Thursday and Friday nights.
“The state police are currently working with other North German states to significantly strengthen drone defense measures,” state Home Minister Sabin Stalin Work said. She cited the ongoing investigation and did not provide further details.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrind told reporters Saturday afternoon that his ministry is working on new anti-drone rules aimed at detecting, intercepting and shooting down drones if necessary.
On Thursday, the European defense minister agreed to develop a “drone wall” along the border with Russia and Ukraine to better detect, track and intercept drones that violate European airspace.
German Prime Minister Friedrich Merz said about the frequent attacks on infrastructure and data networks: “We are not at war, but we are no longer living in peace.” He did not imply to any particular country as the actor behind those attacks.
“Drone flights, spies, Tiagarten murders, massive threats to individual public figures not only in Germany, but also in many other European countries. They routinely commit sabotages. They try to paralyze the data center. They try to cyberattack.
What became known in Germany as the “Tiergarten Murder” refers to the case of Vadim Krasikov, who was convicted on August 23, 2019, killing Zelimkan “Tornike” Kangoshvili, 40-year-old Georgian citizen Kangoshvili, was a 40-year-old Georgian citizen who fought against the Russian army in Chokenya, and later claimed Azirm. Krashikov was returned to Russia in 2024 as part of a massive prisoner exchange between the US and Russia.
One of the six runways at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport was closed for about 45 minutes on Saturday afternoon after reporting a drone sighting around noon (1000 GMT). The aircraft was redirected to another runway.
Warrin said the runway was reopened, unable to find a drone or drone pilot. He said such reported sightings are regular occurrences and he is 22 years old so far this year.
NATO is discussing airspace violations
Later on Saturday, General Giuseppe Kabon Dragone, chairman of NATO military committee, said at a NATO conference in Riga, Latvia that “Russian aircraft and drones can find a decisive response to newly established and already operational East Sentry activities, in addition to existing measures.
“Russia is fully responsible for these actions,” Dragone said. “Today, I am expressing complete and clear solidarity with all allies whose airspace has been violated. The alliance’s response is robust and will only continue to be strengthened,” he said.
“The immediate priority for today is clearly air defense,” Latvian President Edgars Linkwivitz said.
“Russia continues to have a pattern of provocation, and recently recklessly violates the airspace of Poland and Estonia,” Linkvicheese said.
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Sylvie Corbett of Paris and Mike Coder of The Hague of the Netherlands contributed to this report.
