Drone Activity Forces Danish Airport Shutdown; PM Frederiksen Pins Blame On Russia
The closure is the latest in a string of drone-related incidents this week that Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has described as "hybrid attacks."
Denmark faced another air travel disruption late Thursday night as Aalborg Airport in northern Denmark was forced to close briefly following a suspected drone sighting, police and local media reported. The closure is the latest in a string of drone-related incidents this week that Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has described as "hybrid attacks."
Aalborg Airport Closure Disrupts Flights
Authorities shut the airspace over Aalborg Airport at around 11:40 pm local time (2140 GMT) after drones were reportedly seen in the vicinity, an airport official told DR, the public broadcaster, as cited by Economic Times.
It was later confirmed by the regional police on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that the shutdown was due to suspected drone activity. The airspace reopened around 12:35 am on Friday, though officials have not yet verified whether drones were indeed present.
Consequently, a KLM flight from Amsterdam was forced to turn back, and led to the cancellation of a Scandinavian Airlines flight from Copenhagen, flight-tracking websites revealed.
String of Drone Incidents Across Denmark
The latest closure comes after drones were spotted earlier this week at Aalborg, Esbjerg, Sonderborg airports and the Skrydstrup air base. These sightings forced Aalborg Airport to suspend operations for several hours on Thursday, while Copenhagen Airport was also briefly shut down earlier in the week.
The incidents in Denmark follow similar drone incursions in Norway, Poland and Romania, as well as an alleged violation of Estonian airspace by Russian fighter jets, raising additional concerns about regional airspace security.
Danish PM: "Denmark Victim of Hybrid Attacks"
In a video message on Thursday, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Denmark had been "the victim of hybrid attacks", a term often used to describe unconventional forms of warfare that combine military and non-military tactics.
Although investigators have not yet identified those responsible, Frederiksen added, "Russia is the main country that poses a threat to Europe’s security."
Russia Rejects Allegations
Moscow, however, has strongly denied involvement. The Russian Embassy in Copenhagen called the allegations a "staged provocation" and said Russia "firmly rejects" any suggestion it played a role in the Danish drone incidents.
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