Third suspicious drone incident this week forces Denmark to close Aalborg airspace
The airspace above Aalborg Airport in northern Denmark was closed overnight on Sept. 26 after police reported an unidentified drone, Danish television channel TV2 said.
It marked the third such disruption in less than a week.
Police said a drone sighting was reported at 11:40 p.m., leading to a one-hour suspension of all departures and arrivals. Several flights were canceled, and two inbound planes were diverted.
"We have had a massive presence out there all day, and it is one of our own people who discovered something that looks like a drone," North Jutland Police Chief Christian Tilsted said.
"We have thoroughly investigated the area, and we have not found anything."
The incident follows a series of similar disruptions.
On Sept. 24, Aalborg Airport — located near a Danish military base — suspended operations after drones were detected, prompting Copenhagen to consider invoking NATO's Article 4.
Drones forced Copenhagen Airport, the busiest hub in northern Europe, to suspend operations on Sept. 22. Norwegian officials also temporarily closed Oslo Airport after sightings of drones in the airspace.
Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said the origin of the drones remains unclear, adding there is no evidence linking them directly to Russia.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the incidents must be seen in the broader context of cyberattacks on European airports and Russian incursions into NATO territory.
The unexplained drone flights coincide with a rise in Russian military violations of allied airspace.
Three Russian MiG-31 jets entered Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland on Sept. 19, prompting Tallinn to request NATO consultations under Article 4.
Poland also shot down Russian drones during a mass strike on Ukraine, marking the first time since the full-scale invasion that NATO engaged Russian assets directly over its territory.
Romania reported a similar violation on Sept. 13, scrambling two F-16s after detecting a Russian drone entering its airspace during a strike on Ukraine.
NATO also scrambled two Eurofighter jets on Sept. 21 after detecting a Russian Il-20M reconnaissance plane flying without a filed plan over the Baltic Sea.
The alliance has reinforced defenses with its Eastern Sentry mission amid rising provocations.
