Drones disrupt flights at second Danish airport in a week

Danish authorities closed Aalborg Airport early Thursday due to drones in its airspace, disrupting both commercial and military operations. This dual-use facility, serving as a military base, halted flights for about three hours, with the drones exhibiting patterns similar to those that shut Copenhagen Airport for four hours days earlier. National police confirmed the resemblance, while local forces reported the drones departing after three hours. The armed forces aided the probe but offered no further details.

Denmark previously deemed the Copenhagen event the gravest assault on critical infrastructure, tying it to suspected Russian drone breaches in Poland, Romania, Estonia, and other European disruptions. Prime Minister Frederiksen asserted, “I certainly cannot deny in any way that it is Russia.” Russia’s ambassador to Denmark dismissed suspicions as ungrounded, alleging provocation for NATO confrontation.

Norway closed Oslo Airport airspace for three hours Monday after a drone sighting. Norwegian and Danish officials maintain close coordination on Copenhagen and Oslo cases, though no link is confirmed, per Norway’s foreign minister Wednesday. Von der Leyen labeled the Copenhagen halt a “pattern of persistent contestation at our borders,” exposing infrastructure risks.