‘Hybrid attacks’: What Denmark revealed about drone & disruption at airports; Russia denies involvement

Denmark said Thursday that drone flights over multiple airports this week were part of “hybrid attacks” aimed at spreading fear and disrupting the country, prompting authorities to consider new security measures and closer coordination with NATO allies. Russia firmly denied involvement, calling the incidents a “staged provocation.”Authorities confirmed that unidentified drones were seen over several Danish airports, including Aalborg, Esbjerg, Sonderborg and the Skrydstrup air base, as well as near Billund, the country’s second-largest airport. Aalborg was closed for several hours, while Billund was briefly shut following unverified reports of drone activity. Earlier in the week, a similar episode had forced Copenhagen Airport, Denmark’s busiest, to halt operations.North Jutland police inspector Jesper Bojgaard Madsen said drones over Aalborg flew “over a very large area over a couple of hours” and could not be intercepted. Police said investigations were under way in cooperation with the intelligence service and the armed forces.

“Over recent days, Denmark has been the victim of hybrid attacks,” Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a video address on social media. She warned that such incursions “could multiply” and highlighted Russia as the main security threat to Europe.“There is one main country that poses a threat to Europe’s security, and it is Russia,” Frederiksen said. She added that she had discussed the incidents with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.The Kremlin rejected the accusations. “We firmly reject any suggestion of involvement in these incidents,” the Russian Embassy in Copenhagen said in a social media post, describing the drone flights as “a staged provocation.”

Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said the purpose of the flights was “to spread fear, create division and frighten us.” He said Denmark would invest in new capabilities to “detect” and “neutralise” drones in response to the incidents.Defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen said the pattern of activity suggested “the work of a professional actor” with “systematic navigation across several locations at virtually the same time.” While he noted that the flights posed “no direct military threat,” Poulsen said they highlighted Denmark’s vulnerability to hybrid warfare and sabotage.Military intelligence officials said investigators had not yet identified those responsible. “The risk of Russian sabotage in Denmark is high,” said intelligence chief Finn Borch.Denmark has not yet decided whether to invoke NATO’s Article 4, which allows a member state to call consultations if its security or territorial integrity is threatened. Poulsen said the option remained under consideration given the “current security situation in Europe.”French President Emmanuel Macron voiced solidarity, saying France was ready “to contribute to the security of Danish airspace.” European defence ministers are due to meet Friday to discuss drones as emerging threats, while EU leaders are scheduled to gather in Copenhagen next week for a summit.The incidents in Denmark follow drone incursions in Norway, Polish and Romanian airspace, and the violation of Estonian airspace by Russian fighter jets. Earlier this month, more than 20 Russian drones crossed into Polish territory, prompting Warsaw to trigger NATO’s Article 4.European analysts describe such actions as part of so-called “grey zone” or hybrid warfare tactics designed to destabilise opponents without open conflict. “Russia sees a new opportunity space and is trying to explore it,” said Flemming Splidsboel Hansen, a researcher on hybrid warfare and post-Soviet Russia.For many Danes, the drone sightings stirred unease. “I feel rather insecure. I live in a country where there has been peace since 1945. I am not really used to thinking about war,” said 85-year-old Birgit Larsen in central Copenhagen.Others expressed a more measured view. “It’s probably Russia, you know, testing the borders of Europe. They fly close to the borders and stuff and try to provoke, but not threaten,” said 48-year-old Torsten Froling.The threat posed by drones to airports has grown in recent years. In December 2018, drone activity over Gatwick Airport in London disrupted hundreds of flights, while in January 2019, drone reports near Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey temporarily halted air traffic.Danish officials said the latest events underscore the need to strengthen defences. The government recently announced plans to acquire long-range precision weapons for the first time, citing Russia as a long-term threat.Poulsen said the government was treating the situation with urgency but emphasised that it remained under control. “This was a systematic operation, but there was no immediate military danger,” he said.The drone incursions, coinciding with Denmark’s preparations to host European leaders, have intensified debate over how Nato and the EU should respond to unconventional threats at a time when the war in Ukraine continues to destabilise the region.