Drone sightings near airports and military facilities in several countries, including Denmark, Germany and Norway, have led to flight disruptions and raised security concerns in Europe.
It is unclear if the episodes are linked or who is responsible. Officials have not reported intercepting any drones, and no damage has been reported.
But European nations remain on edge. Here’s what to know:
What has happened and where?
Even before the drone sightings began in recent weeks, many European nations had already been on high alert over concerns that Russia’s attacks on Ukraine could spill deeper into Eastern Europe. Over the last month, Russia flew drones into Poland and Romania and sent fighter jets into Estonian airspace.
Then, in late September, the Danish authorities temporarily suspended flights at Copenhagen Airport after drones were seen in the sky. The same day, Oslo Airport was closed because of similar sightings, forcing flights to be diverted to other airports in Norway.
Days later, flights were temporarily suspended at several other airports in Denmark when unidentified drones were spotted. In early October, Munich Airport paused flights because of reported drone activity, and Oslo Airport again briefly grounded planes after more drone sightings.
Who is to blame?
The seemingly sudden increase in sightings has prompted concerns that the drone episodes are coordinated or aimed at creating disruption in Nato member states. Some European leaders have pointed a finger, directly or indirectly, at Russia.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany said of the drone sightings, “We suspect that a significant portion of it is probably controlled from Russia.” Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark called the drones a “serious attack” and criticised Russia’s “destructive role” in Europe, though she did not blame Moscow, while Denmark’s defence minister said that the drones appeared to be the work of a “professional actor” but that there was no evidence of Russian involvement.
Drone sightings have also been reported near military facilities in the two countries. Denmark’s Defence Intelligence Service says that Russia is already engaged in “hybrid warfare against Nato and the West”, aimed at testing the countries’ defences and probing for vulnerabilities.
President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has denied responsibility for the drone incidents. Russia’s former President, Dmitri Medvedev, has appeared to laugh off the accusations, saying this month that it was useful for Europeans to experience the dangers of war firsthand.
How is Europe responding?
The European Union has reiterated the need for what it calls a “drone wall”, or a network of sensors and weapons to detect, track and intercept crewless aircraft. But financing for such a project has not been finalised, and there is no clear timeline for when it could be ready.
Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said on a trip to Kyiv this month that Europe has “a lot to learn” from Ukraine’s response to drone attacks. Ukraine uses a network of sensors, drones and other shielding technologies to protect itself from Russian drone incursions, and it has begun training its European counterparts in those techniques.
Europe’s current detection systems are ill-equipped to handle drone incursions, said Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, a senior fellow at Bruegel, a research institute in Brussels. The drones in Copenhagen last month were spotted not by sophisticated surveillance systems but by citizens. The drones spotted over Oslo on October 6 were reported by a pilot during an approach to the airport.
“What it reveals is that Europe is completely unprepared for these types of attacks or these types of incursions,” Kirkegaard said.
Germany this month and Britain on Monday announced plans to give more power to security or law enforcement officials to shoot down unauthorised drones in extreme circumstances. But some experts worry that the officials lack needed equipment and training.
Drones are widely available, inexpensive and relatively easy to purchase. Ian Lesser, director of the Brussels office of the German Marshall Fund research institute, drew a comparison with cyberattacks, in which even small-scale actors have the capability to inflict serious damage.
The urgent question facing European governments is how to address the risk in a fast, cost-effective way, he said.
New York Times News Service