Information
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has described the drone disruption at Copenhagen Airport as the most serious attack on Denmark’s critical infrastructure to date. On Monday evening, multiple large drones were spotted flying in the airport’s vicinity, prompting authorities to halt all takeoffs and landings. Operations resumed after several hours, though delays and cancellations persisted. Police confirmed that 35 flights were diverted, noting the drones approached from different directions, turned their lights on and off, and eventually disappeared. Frederiksen emphasised that the incident reflects broader trends in Europe, where drone intrusions, cyberattacks, and airspace violations have become increasingly common.
Police officials suggested that the disruption was carried out by a highly capable operator with both the skills and intent to cause significant disruption. European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, linked the incident to a pattern of persistent threats to critical infrastructure across the continent. The event coincided with a similar drone-related disruption at Oslo Airport in Norway, underscoring rising security concerns in northern Europe. Recent incidents of suspected Russian sabotage and repeated violations of NATO airspace have further heightened tensions, leaving authorities wary of more sophisticated and coordinated attacks on vital infrastructure.
Source: AFP, AP, Reuters
So What
While there is a realistic possibility that this was a state-run operation to disrupt flights and cause chaos in Europe, the origin of the drones is a big information gap. If this is a state-run operation, it is likely to have been launched from a boat, as that is the only realistic way the drones could have approached and left the airport without being identified by radar stations. There is also a small possibility that this was a drone hobbyist who got lost or an issue-motivated group looking to protest.
Follow us to join the intelligence community!