3 drones reportedly spotted flying over Belgian nuclear power plant
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Three drones were spotted flying over the Doel Nuclear Power Plant in northern Belgium on the evening of Nov. 9, according to Deutsche Welle.
Operations at the power plant near Antwerp were not impacted by the drone sighting, a spokesperson for local energy company Engie said.
Several unidentified drone sightings have occurred in recent days near Belgian infrastructure. On Nov. 3, the Belgian army issued orders to shoot down unknown drones spotted over the country's military bases in response to the sightings.
On Nov. 4, Belgium suspended air traffic at Brussels Airport due to a reported drone sighting in the area, according to the Belga News Agency. Some flights were diverted to the country's Liege Airport, which was later temporarily closed because of another drone sighting.
Meanwhile, suspicious drones were spotted over Belgium's Kleine Brogel Air Base for three nights in a row between Oct. 31 and Nov. 2, local media reported.
Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken said that the sightings near military bases appear to be part of an espionage operation, not naming the culprit but linking the incidents to recent Russian airspace violations in Europe.
The drone sightings have caused disruptions in several European countries, including Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands. As investigations continue, authorities have not ruled out that the drones may be Russian.
Amid the drone sightings, Ukraine is set to open defense production offices in Berlin and Copenhagen by year's end as Kyiv seeks to boost its weapons exports, President Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists on Nov. 3.
The two cities were chosen as Denmark and Germany are both co-production partners for the Ukrainian defense industry, Zelensky told journalists, adding that "opening two export capitals" will fund the "domestic production of scarce goods."
Ukraine has previously signalled it is ready to help its allies produce drones using its wartime knowledge as Europe increasingly faces signs of hybrid warfare from Russia.
