On Tuesday, September 22, Denmark and Norway experienced disruptions at their airports as large unidentified drones entered the airspace, leading to temporary closures and affecting tens of thousands of passengers. Copenhagen Airport was shut down for nearly 4 hours, while Oslo Airport was closed for around 3 hours before resuming operations. However, flight scheduling disruptions continued to ripple through the airports.
Danish authorities reported the presence of two to three large drones in the vicinity of Copenhagen Airport, deliberately flashing lights and maneuvering in different directions before disappearing hours later. As of now, no suspects have been identified, and any connection to the drone incident at the Norwegian airport remains unconfirmed.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described the incident as the “most severe attack on critical infrastructure in Denmark to date,” noting similarities with recent drone intrusions, airspace violations, and airport security incidents across Europe. While not naming any specific suspects, she emphasized that all possibilities are being considered.
According to airport and air traffic control data, Copenhagen Airport halted operations at 8:26 p.m. local time on the 22nd, resulting in the suspension of all departures and arrivals, impacting over a hundred flights with some being diverted. Operations resumed in the early morning, but delays and cancellations persisted. Oslo Airport, after sighting the drone, temporarily closed its airspace for about 3 hours.
Danish authorities are exploring the hypothesis that the drones may have taken off from ships; Copenhagen Airport is close to busy waterways connecting to the Baltic Sea, and the Danish Royal Navy patrolled the surrounding waters for several hours after the incident. Official sources stress that investigations are ongoing, and no further details can be disclosed at this time.
Ukrainian President Zelensky accused Russia of being the mastermind behind the incident in a tweet, but no evidence was provided. Russian Ambassador to Denmark, Vladimir Barbin, strongly refuted all allegations in a statement, stating that the speculations of Russian involvement are baseless. He suggested that the incident over Copenhagen Airport airspace was orchestrated by individuals aiming to provoke NATO countries into direct military confrontation with Russia.
Against the backdrop of this event, tensions in European security have been escalating. NATO recently accused Russian fighter jets of violating Estonian airspace last week, and over 20 Russian drones crossed into Poland, prompting NATO jets to intercept and down some of them. Multiple countries have warned that such actions are testing NATO’s responsiveness and determination.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, stated that these violations are either due to “brazen incompetence” or deliberate actions, and NATO will take measures according to the level of threat to safeguard the security of its cities, people, and infrastructure.