Denmark is on high alert after unauthorized drones buzzed near key airports in what officials are calling coordinated attacks. The country shut down Aalborg Airport and put three others—Esbjerg, Sonderborg, and Skrydstrup—on standby Thursday night. Danish leaders reached out to NATO and the European Union for support right away.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen broke the news at a press conference. He described the drone flights as a “hybrid attack” with a “systematic approach” targeting critical infrastructure. Denmark is now weighing whether to invoke NATO’s Article 4, which lets members request urgent consultations on threats to their security.
Authorities have given the green light to shoot down any future drones. “We’re going to find the people behind this,” Poulsen said. He pointed to Denmark’s military tools, like F-35 fighter jets and frigates, to protect the nation.
But Poulsen admitted Denmark lacks the full defenses it needs against these “here to stay” threats. The country doesn’t have a ground-based air defense system yet—though the government greenlit a purchase this month. Even that won’t fully stop the type of small drones spotted Thursday. “There’s no single capacity that will make this go away,” he added. Denmark needs a mix of tools to handle drones, missiles, or whatever comes next.
Aalborg Airport closed temporarily as the drones disrupted flights. Police in North Jutland said the intrusions lasted about three hours before the drones flew off. They’re keeping a close eye on things but haven’t shared details on how many drones were involved.
This isn’t the first time. Just days earlier, on Monday, similar drone activity halted operations at Copenhagen Airport. Officials suspect a pattern, and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called it “the most serious yet” threat to Denmark’s infrastructure. Past incidents have raised fears of Russian interference.
Norway faced a similar scare Monday, closing Oslo Airport’s airspace for three hours over unauthorized drone risks. The two countries’ authorities are teaming up to investigate the Copenhagen and Oslo events, but Norway’s Foreign Minister says they haven’t linked the cases yet.
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