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Drones force Aalborg airport closure as tensions rise in Europe

Drones: second Danish airspace alert in a week amid Russian incursions and NATO warnings

Danish police have shut the airspace over Aalborg airport in northern Jutland after drones were spotted above the facility. “Drones have been observed near Aalborg airport and the airspace is closed. Police are on site and investigating,” the North Jutland force announced on X, adding that a press briefing will follow.

It is the second incident in Denmark within days. On Monday Copenhagen airport was closed for several hours when large drones loitered nearby, causing flight diversions and delays. “The drones disappeared and the airport was reopened, we did not shoot them down,” deputy inspector Jakob Hansen said at the time, noting that the military and intelligence services were probing the origin of the flights. Police believe a “skilled operator” was responsible. Prime minister Mette Frederiksen was more direct, saying she could not rule out Russian involvement. The Kremlin rejected that charge, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov calling such claims “groundless”.

The latest alert comes as Europe faces heightened aerial tensions. Moscow is accused of repeated airspace violations over Poland, Estonia and Romania. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, speaking to CNN in New York for the UN General Assembly, said that shooting down Russian jets that breach NATO territory “is on the table” after warnings and verification. “We must defend every square inch of our territory,” she insisted.

Germany has also reported fresh encounters. Defence minister Boris Pistorius told the Bundestag that a Russian military aircraft recently overflew a German navy frigate in the Baltic, after Eurofighter jets intercepted another Russian plane on Sunday. He accused Moscow of “testing the limits” against NATO members with increasing frequency. “Putin wants to provoke us and expose supposed weaknesses in the alliance,” Pistorius said, praising NATO’s united yet measured response.

The Kremlin has dismissed the accusations as “exaggerated hysteria”, with Peskov insisting Russian military aviation “strictly observes all flight regulations”.

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