Unidentified drones spotted in northern Germany near Danish border, NDR reports
Authorities in Germany's northern state of Schleswig-Holstein reported multiple drone sightings overnight on Sept. 26, according to German broadcaster NDR.
The incidents come as Russian drones and military aircraft have increasingly entered NATO airspace, prompting heightened alert and readiness across the alliance. Recent violations have been reported in Estonia, Poland, and Romania.
The Interior Ministry in Kiel said investigations were ongoing and that drone defense systems had been reinforced in coordination with other northern German states. Authorities suspect the drones may be linked to espionage, NDR reported.
In Denmark, the airspace above Aalborg Airport in northern Jutland was closed overnight on Sept. 26 after police also reported an unidentified drone, Danish broadcaster TV2 said.
The closure lasted about an hour, with several flights canceled and two inbound planes diverted.
This marked the third disruption at Aalborg Airport in less than a week. On Sept. 24, operations were suspended after drones were detected near a military base, prompting Copenhagen to consider invoking NATO's Article 4.
Earlier, on Sept. 22, Copenhagen Airport, the busiest hub in northern Europe, also halted operations due to drone sightings. Norwegian authorities temporarily closed Oslo Airport under similar circumstances.
Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said the origin of the drones remains unclear and that there is no evidence directly linking them to Russia.
The drone flights coincide with a notable rise in Russian 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 shot down Russian drones during a mass strike on Ukraine on Sept. 10, marking the first time NATO engaged Russian assets over its territory since the full-scale invasion. Romania reported a similar violation on Sept. 13, scrambling F-16s after detecting a Russian drone.
The alliance has reinforced defenses through its Eastern Sentry mission amid growing provocations.
