The Danish defense ministry reported Saturday that drones were spotted overnight at multiple military installations, the latest in a string of unexplained incursions unsettling northern Europe.
According to the ministry, drone activity was confirmed over Skrydstrup Air Base and the Jutland Dragoon Regiment. Local media also reported sightings near Karup Air Base — Denmark’s largest — though the ministry declined to confirm, citing operational security and an ongoing investigation.
Public broadcaster DR reported that drones flew inside and outside Karup’s perimeter fence around 8 p.m. Friday, prompting a temporary closure of the airspace. While there is no civil aviation at Karup, the incident underscored growing concern over the frequency of drone flyovers.
Earlier in the week, drones disrupted operations at four Danish airports, including Copenhagen, where flights were grounded for hours. Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard warned that the intent was to sow “fear and division,” pledging new legislation to allow infrastructure owners to shoot down unauthorized drones. Ahead of next week’s EU summit, Denmark accepted Sweden’s offer of a military-grade anti-drone system.
Neighboring Germany has also reported drone sightings in Schleswig-Holstein, which borders Denmark. Interior Minister Sabine Sütterlin-Waack said police have stepped up counter-drone defenses in coordination with other northern states. Chancellor Friedrich Merz framed the threat as part of a wider pattern of hybrid warfare: “We are not at war, but we are no longer living in peace either.”
NATO leaders meeting in Riga, Latvia, echoed the alarm. Adm. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chair of NATO’s Military Committee, condemned repeated Russian airspace violations over several allies as “escalatory, reckless and endangering lives.” Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs said NATO’s new Eastern Sentry operation demonstrates the alliance’s resolve to defend its eastern flank.
With tensions rising, officials across Europe agree: bolstering air defense is now an urgent priority.
